Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents swooped down on a business-process outsourcing (BPO) company in Pasay City on Thursday and arrested as many as 542 foreigners running the illegal outfit.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the aliens were nabbed in a joint operation at the Millennium Building with the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office (PNP-NCRPO), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in coordination with the Chinese Embassy.
Those arrested were mostly male, made up of 442 Chinese, 23 Vietnamese, 25 Malaysians, three Indonesians, 45 Burmese and four Taiwanese.
“They were arrested for working without permit and for being undocumented aliens,” said Morente.
Fortunato Manahan Jr., chief of the BI Intelligence Division revealed details the arrested foreigners were involved in some sort of telecommunications fraud, similar to budol-budol.
“But their victims are mostly from mainland China,” he added.
Morente clarified the role of the BI in the raid, saying, “if an alien committed a criminal act, it is under the jurisdiction of the local authorities. But if we see that there is an immigration violation, we may charge for deportation separately.” The clarification was issued by Morente following questions on the role of BI in arresting foreign nationals.
He, likewise, discussed the procedure of deportation: “It is within our policy not to implement deportation, unless local cases are cleared already. If the alien needs to serve time in our local jails then so be it, this is to ensure the full effect of justice.”
Morente then reiterated his warning to erring foreign nationals. “We welcome foreigners to visit the Philippines—work here, live here, study here, retire here, we welcome aliens as long as they comply with our laws.”
“Follow our laws or face deportation,” he warned.
The suspects are currently detained with the NCRPO in Bicutan, Taguig.