THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) heightened its alert level to thwart any attempt by international terrorists to enter the country.
“Our personnel in all international airports and seaports nationwide are always on alert to prevent these foreign terrorists from slipping into the country,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
Morente said immigration officers are extra cautious in allowing the entry of foreign nationals with suspicious purposes.
He added aliens suspected to pose a threat to public safety are subjected to secondary inspection.
“Those who fail to satisfactorily explain their purpose in coming are turned away and booked on the first available flight back to their port of origin,” Morente said.
He assured that the BI continues to maintain a database of suspected international terrorists.
Any attempt by terrorists to enter the Philippines will be foiled by immigration inspectors at the port of entry, he said.
“We have a shared database with numerous local and international intelligence agencies, including the Interpol. This database and other derogatory files are integrated into the electronic system, regularly updated, and is used by our immigration officers in processing and conducting arrival formalities for passengers, thus allowing us to detect such attempts,” the BI chief said.
Morente added that due to the ongoing travel ban following the Covid-19 pandemic, the entry of aliens remains restricted.
The BI issued the statement following reports of terror threats on some countries in Southeast Asia.