MORE than 30 additional Immigration employees will be designated in border crossing stations in Palawan and other parts of Mindanao to help prevent the entry of illegal aliens and foreign terrorists in the country using the backdoor.
Commissioner Jaime Morente on Monday said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is now in the process of hiring 36 employees that will be assigned in six border crossing stations in the South.
These stations are located in the ports of Brooke’s Point and Balabac in Palawan; Tibanban, Davao Oriental; Batuganding, Davao del Sur; and the islands of Taganak and Bongao in Tawi-Tawi.
Morente said each of these ports will be manned by six additional border crossing officers.
The officers will be tasked to monitor and inspect travelers aboard sea crafts that regularly cross the country’s borders and the arrests of illegal aliens and foreign terrorists.
They are also mandated to coordinate with the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy and PNP Maritime Group in the discharge of their duties.
According to BI, the need to beef up manpower has become imperative due to the reported entry of members of the Isis, who had linked up with local terrorist groups Maute and Abu Sayyaf.
The Mindanao island is still on heightened alert following President Rodrigo Duterte's martial law proclamation last May 23 due to the ongoing armed conflict between the government and Maute group.
The siege has by far claimed 300 lives, among them are 62 soldiers. (SunStar Philippines)