The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to implement a “one strike policy” against their corrupt personnel.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente already had instructed the newly-reconstituted Board of Discipline or BOD to study complaints and reports against erring employees in the bureau.
“If there are merits in the complaints against such personnel”, Morente said they will recommend to the Department of Justice to file administrative cases against them.
The BOD is headed by Atty. Ronaldo Ledesma, who previously served as OIC commissioner and OIC deputy commissioner. The DOJ has five more lawyers appointed to the board.
Under the “one strike policy”, corrupt employees who are subject of complaints and investigations will be immediately relieved from their posts.
According to Morente, based on the immigration record since 2016, up to 131 personnel have been suspended, dismissed or permanently removed of their service prior to various violations.
Morente reiterates that they do not tolerate corruption in their ranks.
He had earlier said that it is time to amend the Immigration Law because the agency’s leadership did not have disciplinary powers on reprimanded employees and it is only due for recommendatory to the DOJ.
Morente, on the other hand, urged the public to report to them any illegal activities involving their staff through numbers 0286452400 or Messenger on the official Facebook page of the Immigration Bureau.