BI chief urges law criminalizing illegal exits

On Monday, March 31, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado urged Congress to pass a law criminalizing illegal departures from the Philippines.

Viado emphasized that such legislation would serve as a strong deterrent for human traffickers and make potential victims think twice before accepting their offers, citing recent cases where victims were repatriated from Myanmar after being forced into scam hubs.

The BI chief also disclosed high-profile cases involving former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who allegedly used backdoor routes to evade detection.

Currently, there is no specific law penalizing illegal exits in the country; related violations may fall under falsification of public documents or tampering under the Philippine Passport Act.

The BI chief highlighted that this issue is likely just the tip of the iceberg and called for urgent action to prevent more citizens from being victimized by trafficking syndicates, urging stricter monitoring of southern borders where traffickers use small boats to transport victims abroad.

Last week saw the arrest of two suspects involved in human trafficking: 'Jon Jon,' identified as a recruiter, and 'Fiona,' who facilitated illegal departures through small boats.