The Philippines has suspended the issuance of e-Visa to Chinese nationals.
The move came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) discovered irregularities in the issuance of e-Visas for Chinese nationals and recommended the turn over of responsibility from DFA to a third-party service provider instead.
"This is to inform the public that the operations of the Philippine e-Visa System in China is temporarily suspended until further notice," the DFA said in its advisory.
Chinese nationals applying for Philippine visa are instead advised to contact the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate in their area by visiting the directory at https://dfa.gov.ph/about/dfa-directory/our-foreign-service-posts-dfa to submit their applications and for other inquiries.
On Nov. 23, the DFA defended the exercise of its mandate to issue Philippine visas to foreign nationals as it said it is anchored on international and local laws.
Ma. Teresita Daza, DFA spokesperson, said these include the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the 1987 Administrative Code and the Codified Visa Rules and Regulations of the Philippines of 2002.
Even as the DOJ cited irregularities amounting to a national security concern, Daza maintained that the DFA is is performing “the first tier of defense gatekeeping,” that is done through “stringent admissions criteria for foreign nationals.”
She added that the Bureau of Immigration (BI), an agency under the DOJ, is assisting the DFA in the “stringent visa issuance process.” BI, she said, provides the “second tier of defense gatekeeping” through admitting foreigners based on its security database and the conduct of interviews.