The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday that they have officially banned deportation flights with layovers for foreigners involved in POGO-related crimes.
According to the BI, POGO deportees can only be flown directly to their country, unless there is no direct flight from the Philippines.
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According to BI Commissioner Joel Viado, the new policy aims to close a “loophole” used by POGO deportees to slip through.
“This is a new situation since the mass deportations began this year following the POGO ban announced by President Ferdinand Marcos,” Viado said.
“If there are only direct flights for POGO deportees, their chances of continuing their illegal operations abroad will be reduced,” he added.
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Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian have long been calling for a stricter process so that high-profile criminals cannot escape deportation.
“It is not reasonable that we catch them, deport them, and then on a transit flight they escape and return to their previous activities,” Gatchalian said in a Senate hearing.
Gatchalian also revealed that on March 7, there were 21 deportees who were supposed to be returned to China but were taken to Kuala Lumpur and later ended up in Cambodia.
BI, DOJ, Airlines and Embassies to Collaborate
According to the BI, they have already coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ), airlines, and foreign embassies to ensure the smooth implementation of the new policy.
The BI is also studying tighter security measures for deportation, such as collaboration with law enforcement agencies abroad.
Viado urged legislators to enact laws to make this policy permanent.
