The Bureau of Immigration (BI) warned on Monday that it will block the entry and deport foreign nationals who would present “fake quarantine bookings.”
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente issued the warning following the implementation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-IED) resolution suspending the travel of foreign nationals into the Philippines.
“Only certain classes of foreign nationals will be allowed starting today, March 22, 2021, until April 21,” said Morente. “Despite this, we will still deport aliens who try to evade quarantine.”
Morente said that 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 DOT on Tuesday, saying local tourists who present bogus swab test results may be imprisoned for up to six months.
Currently, Filipinos, as well as their spouse and children who are traveling with them, are allowed to enter the country provided that these foreign 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 chairman of the National Task Force on 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.
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