Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado on Thursday, March 6, has assured that heads will roll following the escape of a South Korean fugitive last March 4 in Quezon City. South Korean national Na Ikhyeon, 38, was escorted by immigration personnel at the Quezon City...
For Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, it's not normal to ask deportees if they can shoulder the plane tickets that would send them back to their country, yet such was the case for three alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) bosses who eventually never made it to China. Senator Sherwin...
A Chinese national, who has been suspected to be a money launderer for illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), has been arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Pasay City. The BI identified the Chinese national as Wang Zhouyu, 35, who was arrested by operatives of the...
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque had attempted to flee to the United States (US) but was prevented at an airport in Japan. This information was disclosed by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials at the continuation of the Senate subcommittee on justice’s investigation into...
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, March 4, warned the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that she will press for a total revamp of the agency, starting from its commissioner, if the agency continues to fail to provide answers on the mystery of how former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice...
Two arrested Japanese fugitives have been deported to their country where they are facing charges for fraud and money laundering, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, March 4. Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the two Japanese fugitives as Ito Shinya, 36, and Kawasaki Hiroyuki,...
A Sought Korean "fugitive" who is wanted in his country for his alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud has been arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Paranaque City. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado identified the arrested foreigner as Park Seungeon, 24. Operatives of the...
A total of 14,733,597 international passengers arrived in the Philippines in 2024, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday, March 2. Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said the number of arrivals last year is nearing the pre-pandemic numbers which reached 17,085,097 in 2019. “The return of...
A total of 122,473 foreigners in the Philippines have completed their mandatory annual reporting to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) before the March 1 deadline. In a statement issued on Friday, Feb. 28, the BI urged foreigners who have yet to comply "to do so immediately." It warned that "failure to...
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to sign with the United Nations (UN) this March an agreement to obtain Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS). With APIS, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the BI will immediately know if the person travelling to the Philippines has a...
A total of 108 foreign workers arrested from illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) were deported last Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. With the latest deportations, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said “a total of 226 individuals have...
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has agreed to expeditiously issue clearances to foreign nationals facing deportation after being arrested for working at illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). “We all want the same thing -- for them to leave our country as...
