Bureau of Immigration blocks entry of 25 foreigners at Naia

Bureau of Immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) blocked the entry of 25 foreigners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26, for having suspicious reasons for traveling here.

According to a BI statement issued on Saturday, a group of 25 Vietnamese travelers — 12 men and four women — flew in from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam on Friday.

On questioning them, BI investigators learned that the travelers did not know which places in the Philippines they would be visiting.

The investigators suspected that they would be working with illegal online gambling firsm.

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Also on Friday, the BI blocked the entry of five Chinese travelers on learning that they would be unable to shoulder the expenses of their stay.

On Saturday, the BI also blocked the entry of three female Vietnamese and a male Chinese who arrived from Hanoi, Vietnam for having “suspicious purposes” of travel.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that immigration officers have been alerted against foreigners who pretend to be tourists but intend to work illegally in the Philippines instead.

“Since last month, I have ordered our immigration officers deployed at international airports to be on the lookout for certain foreign nationals who would attempt to enter the country disguised as tourists but whose real intent is to work here illegally in violation of the conditions of their admission and stay as temporary visitors,” Tansingco said.