Four lawyers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have been relieved of their posts pending investigation on their alleged involvement in the issuance of work visas to foreigners who were petitioned by "fake companies."

The names of the lawyers were not disclosed by BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval during an interview on DZBB on Thursday, Jan. 18.

Sandoval said that during the investigatio "pag may nakita talaga na sila ay may direct involvement doon sa hindi tamang pag-iisyu ng mga visa na ‘yun, sila po ay irerekomenda natin sa Department of Justice na makasuhan po at mabigyan ng appropriate sanctions ng DOJ (if we find that they have direct involvement over the isyu concerning these visas, we will recommend that the DOJ file charges against them and slap them with appropriate sanctions),” she assured.

The BI spokesperson also said that the bureau is also investigating 40 travel agencies which transacted on behalf of these foreign nationals who got the 9(g) visas.

“Ang possible sanctions po sa kanila is matanggal po ang kanilang accreditation o masuspindi at ang kanilang bonds po ay mafoforfeit (The possible sanctions that they may face include the revocation or suspension of their accreditation and the forfeiture of their bonds),” she said.

She also said the BI has already begun an expanded investigation after BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla last Monday, Jan. 15, and was instructed to look into the issuance of the 9(g) visas as far back as five years.

“By the end of this month makakapag-submit po tayo sa Department of Justice ‘yung expansion po ng sinubmit po naitng probe nung nakaraang taon (By the end of this month we may be able to submit a report to the DOJ on the expanded probe that we begun last year),” she added.

The irregularity was discovered last October or November  by the BI’s Verification and Compliance Division (VCD).

“A total of 459 applications ang nakita pong naisyuhan ng visas na peke po ‘yung kanilang petitioners, meaning wala po talaga ganoong kumpanya, walang opisina, walang operation ‘yung kumpanyang ‘yun (A total of 459 applications were found to have been issued visas despite having been petitioned by fake companies),” Sandoval said.

“And from there po nakita na there were 116 employers, ‘yung mga kumpanya mismo na peke (we also found 116 fake employers),” she added.