Immigration chief Jaime Morente on Wednesday sent out a strong reminder to Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel to keep immigration areas in the country’s international airports strictly off limits to unauthorized persons, especially those escorting or giving VIP treatment to passengers. Only immigration employees who are on duty and those who have travel orders are allowed in the premises of any international airport, the immigration chief said. ADVERTISEMENTActing on Morente’s orders, Marc Red Mariñas, acting chief of the BI’s port operations division, informed all immigration personnel that stiff sanctions would be imposed on those who violated the policy and directive. Peralta obtained a pass from the airport’s pass control office, Mariñas said, adding that no immigration personnel was involved in the “facilitation” of the immigration processing of Ang, Barreto and the others. Morente will ask Naia general manager Ed Monreal to investigate the incident and “take appropriate action to prevent its recurrence in the future,” according to the BI statement.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 06, 2017 00:11 UTC