The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation in Central Visayas and the Philippine Center for Transitional Crimes started yesterday a crackdown on undesirable aliens in Oriental Negros as part of a relentless drive against foreigners reportedly engaged in illegitimate activities and businesses in the countryside.

Special prosecutor Serafin Araula Abellon, chief of the intelligence unit of BID-Cebu, heads the Region 7 BI team while operatives from Manila are headed by Chief Inspector Rommel Villamor.

Several aliens were invited to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office to present their travel documents, while the BID is acting on complaints that reaches the agency, Abellon said.

The BID noted that some foreigners who have expired visas are gainfully employed in some establishments in Dumaguete City without the required working permits.

A few nationals were also found to be overstaying despite the presence of the field office of the BID in Dumaguete, in wanton disregard of the provisions of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

A Region 7 BID official disclosed that the failure of aliens to present important documents will constrain them to declare foreigners as undocumented.

Outside the country, when Filipinos are found without papers, they are put to jail or deported, the official added. Meanwhile, security at the local airports is being beefed up because of the impending threats of terrorism.

This developed as the monitoring of undesirable aliens who tend to commit crimes is also undertaken.

The composite team had been to Tagbilaran, Bohol and Siquijor to launch the campaign, Abellon said.*JG

back to top