Dateline Kamuning:   Two employees were relieved from their posts following reports of their alleged involvement in illegal activities, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday. In an order signed by Commissioner Norman Tansingco on Jan. 17, the immigration officers were relieved pending investigation on allegations that they have been involved in trafficking activities at the Clark International Airport (CIA) and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). “We have received information that the two have links to trafficking syndicates. We are initiating an investigation to verify this information, and if there is indeed the probable cause, we shall file the appropriate case before the Department of Justice (DOJ),” he said in a statement.     Tansingco said the two personnel would temporarily be assigned to back-end office duties pending the investigation. “While imposing penalties would be subject to the resolution of possible cases against the...

    Dateline Kamuning Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco vowed to prioritize overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) traveling in and out of the country this holiday season. According to Tansingco, they have recently rolled out the latest update of their Border Control Information System (BCIS), which is the centralized database of all travel records of incoming and outgoing passengers. The system is a database sharing information that would allow the BI access to DMW’s OEC records, lessening paperwork for departing OFWs. Apart from faster processing, the system also allowed BI officers to immediately verify and intercept fake OECs upon presentation by illegal recruitment and human trafficking victims.