Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Facebook)

Ranking solons are calling on authorities to tighten the rules and regulations pertaining to the entry of foreign nationals even as the relations between Manila and Beijing remain icy over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.

One of them, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged President Marcos to scrap Executive Order (EO) No.285, which allowed the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to convert tourist visas to student visas.

“In today’s setting, this particular power by the BI can be abused," warned Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

"This arbitratry power to convert visas is the worst legalized scheme that can be used by unscrupulous personnel for monetary gain," he said.

“The 16,200 student visas that the BI granted to Chinese nationals in 2023 is simply unacceptable. Nevermind if other countries grant more, we should never use that as our yardstick given our tense relationship with China,” Barbers said.

As far as the Mindanaoan is concerned, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should be the sole agency in charge of granting visas to foreigners. "It alone possesses the expertise to determine whether the applicants are eligible or not," he said.

Under EO No.285, an inter agency committee on foreign students was created. It is chaired by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), with the DFA, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and Department of Education (DepEd) as members.

Speaking of the DFA, another Mindanaoan in Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez wants the agency to be stricter in general on Chinese nationals applying for tourist visas in the country.

He made the statement over the weekend in the wake of Beijing’s continued aggressive activities in the WPS, the most recent of which was the water cannoning of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels near Panatag Shoal, known to Zambales and Pangasinan fishermen as Bajo de Masinloc.

"I am urging the DFA and our diplomatic posts in China to apply these stricter rules on all China’s nationals applying for whatever type of visa, whether they are businessmen, tourists, workers, or students,” Rodriguez, Committee on Constitutional Amendments chairman, said.

“Let us have a more comprehensive and stringent vetting of Chinese visa applicants for the sake of peace and order in the country, and our national security. Let us be on the lookout for Trojan horses among them,” he said the solon, who is a former immigration commissioner.

He says many Chinese nationals have entered the country as employees of Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) and are involved in illicit activities such as murder, extortion and kidnapping, and caused social ills like prostitution. Many of them have police escorts.

Rodriguez’ bill banning POGO operations in the country has already been approved by the House Committee on Games and Amusement.

A number of them are suspected to be spying for their government, including Chinese students who have reportedly enrolled in schools in Cagayan province, he added.