Filipino sentenced to 3 months in jail for overstaying in Brunei

A Filipino was sentenced to three months in prison and three strokes of the cane on Wednesday after admitting to overstaying in Brunei with his social visit pass expired.

During a raid at Kg Perpindahan Mata-Mata in Gadong on April 16, Restie Puti-An Panal, 42, was detained by Narcotics Control Bureau officers after failing to produce his passport.

The case was transferred to the Immigration Department and an investigation revealed that Restie last entered Brunei on July 25, 2013, via the Serasa Ferry Terminal in Muara.

He was on a social visit pass  valid until Feb. 24, 2014.

Restie gave his passport to a local man named Hj Md Idris, who would be responsible for extending his social visit pass.

However, there is no record of it being extended.

The defendant, being a foreigner, should have taken reasonable steps to ensure that his immigration status in Brunei remained valid.

He also failed to report to the relevant authorities about his passport until his arrest on April 16.

As a result, Restie was found to have remained in Brunei without a reasonable cause for  781 days, since Feb. 25, 2014 until the date of his arrest on April 16 this year.

The  court ordered Restie to serve the prison sentence with effect from the date of his remand on April 17.