Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) stopped from leaving the country a Chinese woman who managed to obtain a working visa through fraud and misrepresentation.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the passenger as 35-year-old Qiu Meiying, who was intercepted last March 26 at the NAIA terminal 1 when she attempted to board her flight to Xiamen, China.
Morente said Qiu was barred from boarding her flight after Immigration Officer Jeremie Abana, during immigration inspection, noticed that Qiu’s name is in the bureau’s watchlist of aliens charged with deportation cases for violating Philippine immigration laws.
Qiu’s passport was confiscated and she was directed to present herself to the BI legal division to face the deportation case that was filed against her.
It was learned that Qiu is one of 20 Chinese nationals who were placed in the immigration watchlist in October last year on orders of the BI board of commissioners which is hearing the case against them.
The case stemmed from the charge of fraud and misrepresentation that were filed by BI prosecutors against the Chinese nationals for allegedly falsifying their employment permits in order to apply for working visas in the country.
BI stops errant Chinese woman from leaving PH at NAIA
Investigation by the BI intelligence division revealed the aliens did not apply and has not been issued alien employment permits (AEP) by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Existing BI rules require the submission of DOLE-issued AEP as one of the requirements for issuing a working visa to a foreigner intending to work in the Philippines.
If proven to have falsified her documents, Qiu will be deported and placed in the BI’s blacklist.
Meanwhile, BI welcomed the appointment of Atty. Carlos B. Capulong as Acting Chief of the Port Operations Division (POD) last week.
In an order yesterday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) designated Capulong, an Attorney III item holder of BI, was issued.
Armed with a 17-year experience in the Bureau, Capulong is a graduate of BA Political science, a graduate of Bachelor of Laws and was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2004, has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and is for dissertation for a PhD in Public Governance.