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Friday, August 11, 2006
BI warns foreigners to legalize stay in RP or face arrest
An official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday warned illegally staying foreigner particularly in Central Visayas that they will be arrested, deported and blacklisted if they will not make their stay in the country legitimate.
BI 7 Director Geronimo Rosas said that just recently, immigration agents apprehended Japanese Kikuo Akazawa near Mactan Doctors’ Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City for being an overstaying and undocumented alien.
Akazawa’s status and location was traced based on the complaint of his wife, Richel Castillote, a Filipino citizen and a native of Butuan City.
It was not known why Castillote wanted her husband arrested and deported. She just filed a complaint against the Japanese national and led immigration agents to his location.
Investigation findings by lawyer Serafin A. Abellon, BI 7 special prosecutor, revealed that Akazawa last arrived in the country on July 24, 2003 as a tourist. He failed to extend his authorized stay in Cebu, which has lapsed for more than two years already.
More personnel
“He came to Cebu and appeared most likely to become a public charge despite his alleged pension pay from Japan,” Abellon stated in his report.
Abellon said that BI 7 has requested the Japanese consulate office in Cebu to intercede for him (Akazawa), at least in the issuance of a travel document for his deportation to Japan.
Meanwhile, Rosas has requested for more personnel to serve Cebu until the end of 2006 to help in the processing of travel documents of the participants to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council (Abac) on Aug. 11-13, the Asia Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) summit, on Sept. 10-15 and the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean) summit on Dec. 11-14.
The ABAC, which is composed of chief executives of top international corporations, will discuss how to make the Philippines more competitive for the global outsourcing market.
AIPO, on the other hand, will revise its charter and craft policies that will help in the campaign against terrorism and pandemic diseases in the region.
The Asean summit is the meeting of the heads of states in Southeast Asian nations with the presidents and ministers of China, Japan, Australia, Russia, New Zealand and South Korea as observers.
Rosas also said that because the immigration counter at Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a show window to foreigners, immigration officers manning the place must have a new uniform and a new haircut. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 11, 2006 issue)
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