THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned foreigners using fake quarantine documents.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said arriving aliens with fake travel documents may be referred back to BI for the initiation of deportation proceedings.
Morente issued the warning following the implementation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) resolution suspending the travel of foreign nationals into the Philippines.
“Only certain classes of foreign nationals will be allowed starting today, until April 21,” said Morente.
“Despite this, we will still deport aliens who try to evade quarantine,” he added.
He warned that they will be strictly implementing the rule to deport foreign nationals who will be submitting fake quarantine bookings.
Morente said they will be doubly strict in ensuring foreign nationals submit valid and legitimate quarantine bookings, given the surge of Covid-19 cases in the country.
“Should foreign nationals be found to have faked their quarantine bookings, they may be referred by the Department of Tourism (DOT) back to the BI for the initiation of deportation proceedings, and they will also be blacklisted from the country,” said Morente.
A similar warning was issued by the DOT on Tuesday, March 23, warning local tourists who tamper documents such as swab test results that they may be imprisoned for up to six months.
At present, Filipinos, as well as their spouse and children will be allowed to enter the country provided that said nationals are able to present a valid and existing visa at the time of entry.
Also allowed to enter are diplomats and members of international organizations, and their dependents with a valid 9(e) visa or 47(a)2 visa, and foreign seafarers for crew change with valid 9(c) visa.
Emergency and humanitarian cases may also be allowed to enter, as approved by the chairperson of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 or his duly authorized representative, while foreign nationals involved in medical repatriation duly endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration may also enter. Said cases must be able to present a valid visa at the time of entry.