By Jun Ramirez
Nearly a hundred intelligence operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) deployed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been reshuffled as part of measures being implemented by the agency to improve services and prevent corruption at the country’s premier port.
Bureau of Immigration (MANILA BULLETIN)
BI port operations division (POD) chief Grifton Medina said a total of 96 immigration intelligence officers, agents and job order employees assigned with the border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) at the NAIA were affected by the revamp that was implemented two weeks ago.
Medina said BI Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the directive “rotating” the terminal assignments of BCIU personnel whose primary tasks are to monitor and profile alien passengers and assist immigration officers in detecting suspected human trafficking victims.
“We are continuously reshuffling the assignments of our airport personnel to re-energize our workforce, eliminate boredom, and enable our employees to take on new responsibilities that will enable them to gain added experience and skills,” Medina said.
He also observed that BCIU personnel at the NAIA have not been reshuffled for nearly three years during which time each one of them reported to only one of the three NAIA terminals.
Medina said that, henceforth, the BI will rotate the terminal assignments of its BCIU personnel quarterly, similar to the rotation scheme being implemented for BI officers manning immigration booths at the NAIA.
It was also learned that nearly three weeks ago the BI-POD rotated the terminal assignments of 513 immigration officers assigned to the immigration counters of the NAIA.
Medina said the rotation of the BI officers was already overdue as they had to wait for the lifting of the ban on transfer of government employees during the recent election period.
“We're planning to synchronize the movement of our BI officers and BCIU personnel the next time we implement our job rotation,” he added.