Latest news with #Viado
GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
1,422 foreigners deported from Jan-June for immigration violations
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Friday it deported more than 1,400 foreigners from January to June this year for violating the country's immigration laws. Data from the BI showed a total of 1,422 foreigners were expelled from the country for violating immigration laws—a significant increase from the 717 deportees reported during the same period last year. Of the deportees, 231 were Vietnamese, 41 were South Koreans, 41 were Malaysians, and 37 were Burmese. The majority of the deportees were foreigners found to be working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) firms despite the ban. 'Our strengthened deportation protocols follow the directive of the President to act swiftly and remove foreigners who abuse our people's hospitality,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. 'We will continue expediting the deportation of foreign nationals who violate our laws,' he added. Viado earlier reported improvements in deportation protocols, including fast-tracking clearances in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation, immediate resolution of cases suspected to be filed under the ''demanda me'' scheme, regular coordination with embassies for swift issuance of travel documents, and opening of a new holding facility for arrested aliens. 2 Sudanese nabbed Meanwhile, immigration authorities apprehended two Sudanese in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, for violating the country's immigration measures. Identified as Moneeb Ahmed Mohamed Yousif, 32, and Zaki Azhari Elzubair Basheer, 41, the suspects were arrested in a residence along M. Soriano St. on Tuesday, July 22. They are now detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig while awaiting deportation proceedings. An initial investigation showed the BI intelligence personnel launched an operation against Moneed after he was found to be staying in the country despite allegedly failing to update his visa. Zaki, meanwhile, was accused of harboring the illegal alien, violating the Philippine immigration laws. The suspects failed to present valid passports or travel documents during the arrest, rendering them undocumented foreign nationals. ''During the arrest, Basheer resisted and hurled expletives at the operatives. While in the premises of the San Carlos City Police Station, he requested to use the restroom but attempted to escape through the back of the building. He was immediately pursued and recaptured by BI agents,'' the BI said. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- GMA Network
4 Chinese men nabbed for alleged violation of PH immigration laws
Four Chinese citizens were nabbed in Minalin, Pampanga for allegedly violating Philippine immigration laws, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday. According to BI, an initial investigation showed suspects Ke Jianye, 39; Guo Yilan, 35; Chen Ligan, 47; and Huang Shuirong, 38; were found to be working in a construction firm in Barangay Sto. Domingo despite only having working visas petitioned by a Manila-based company. Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Philippine working visas are strictly employer-specific and any deviation from the approved petition constitutes a serious violation of Philippine immigration laws. "Foreign nationals are welcome to work in the Philippines, but they must strictly adhere to the conditions of their visa. Working for a company other than the one that petitioned them is a clear breach of our laws and is grounds for deportation," said Viado. "We will not tolerate visa fraud or any attempt to circumvent immigration processes. Employers who misrepresent or reassign foreign workers without proper clearance will be held accountable,' he added. The suspects are currently undergoing deportation proceedings for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act and may be included in the country's immigration blacklist, Viado said. — Sundy Locus/RF/GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- GMA Network
BI warns Pinoys vs 'love scam' job offers abroad
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned the public against ''love scam'' job offers abroad. This developed after the BI recently rescued and repatriated a 24-year-old Filipino from Cambodia, who was lured into working in a 'love scam' hub in Phnom Penh despite being promised a position as a customer service representative in an online betting company. According to the victim, he received the job offer from a former colleague. He was instructed to fly to Taiwan before taking a subsequent flight to Cambodia. Upon arrival, the victim said his employer required him to contact American citizens via social media platforms and dating applications, initiating contact under the pretense of a mistakenly sent ''wrong message'' text. He would then engage in flirtatious exchanges with the unsuspecting targets before introducing them to the company's investment platform. He managed at least three fake female profiles and communicated with the target victims through chat and video calls. For video calls, he would use the same photos in the fraudulent profiles to interact with the victims. If he failed to meet performance expectations and the grueling 15-hour work shifts, the victim said his employer would tap his head with force or activate stun batons near him to intimidate and instill fear. 'These aren't just your run-of-the-mill online scams—we're talking about full-blown operations linked to human trafficking,' said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a press statement. 'Victims aren't just losing money; they're being thrown to do shady deals,' he said. The victim returned to the Philippines on July 13 after a rescue operation coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia. Viado said the BI is closely monitoring the situation and has passed all gathered intel to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to investigate the recruiters and anyone linked to the victims' illegal deployment. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
14-07-2025
- Filipino Times
BI warns of new overseas romance scam hubs luring Filipinos with fake jobs
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a public warning about new romance scam operations abroad that are exploiting Filipinos by luring them with false job offers. This alert comes in light of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s intensified efforts to combat online job scams that victimize aspiring Filipino workers. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed the return of a 24-year-old Filipino man who was rescued from such a scam operation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He arrived via Philippine Airlines following a repatriation effort coordinated with the Philippine Embassy. According to the victim, he was forced to pose as a woman using multiple fake profiles on dating apps like Tinder. His job involved initiating chats with unsuspecting users under the guise of a 'wrong send' message, eventually engaging in romantic exchanges to deceive and manipulate them. The victim revealed that he was made to work grueling 15-hour shifts and was physically intimidated by his handlers using head taps and stun batons whenever he failed to meet performance quotas. Commissioner Viado stressed that these aren't ordinary scams but highly organized human trafficking operations. He warned Filipinos to be cautious and thoroughly verify any overseas job offers. The BI has already handed over intelligence gathered from the incident to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to track and prosecute those behind these schemes. 'These operations prey on the desperation of people looking for better lives abroad,' Viado said. 'We're committed to dismantling these networks and protecting our citizens.'
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- GMA Network
BI warns Pinoys vs new trafficking scheme to Pakistan
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned the public of an alleged new scheme involving Filipino victims being trafficked to Pakistan to work illegally in online gaming hubs. According to the BI, immigration officials recently intercepted four Filipinos — one man and three women — at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while attempting to depart for Hong Kong. The victims initially claimed they were traveling for vacation but during secondary inspection, they admitted they were en route to Pakistan to work as cleaners and a cook at an online gaming compound. The passengers said they were recruited by a Chinese national, who promised them monthly salaries ranging from ?35,000 to 45,000, and provided them with cash for their travel, and instructed them to pose as tourists until further arrangements were made. 'This is a deeply disturbing trend. We are now seeing victims being funneled to Pakistan for illegal online work — clearly a new scheme from the same criminal playbook tied to illegal POGOs,' BI Commissioner Joel Viado said. 'This shows how traffickers are becoming more aggressive and deceptive,' Viado said. Viado added: 'These people were promised jobs, but were told to lie about their purpose of travel and wait for further instructions overseas. This modus operandi reeks of exploitation and abuse'. The BI referred the findings to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for investigation. —Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News
