Traumatized' Pinoy traveler 'throws away' P15,000 after missing int'l flight due to immigration interview

[Peaceful John]

I believe the simple solution to these ridiculous delays are that the BI official wants a payoff or bribe and the person is not offering it.  Since the last clamp down on the massive corruption in the BI, instead of asking for the bribe they put up barriers until you offer the bribe.  This way they can no longer be accused of asking for a bride.  There are many examples of this including what has been mentioned in this thread.  The BI corruption hasn't changed, just their methods.

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by Peaceful John

[Possum]

11 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

And yes, the group counselling session was an both amusing and a little frustrating for me as well.  Apparently sex outside of wedlock is the sole cause of all sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.  I just sat there grinding my teeth with a smile on my face.  

I noticed the same thing but in comparison to the other idiotic hoops that one was mild. They required a paper from the US Embassy stating I wasn't married even though there is no national registry in the US. Then I made a mistake giving official copies of my divorce from my  former wife and casually mentioning she had since died. The woman then said I had to have a copy of her death certificate. No matter of reasoning would suffice, even an attorney could not get it thru the woman's head that I was divorced and she died years later. When we finally got this woman's written approval to marry I asked her if she was married. She said her husband had died so she wasn't married any longer. I asked,"Did he commit suicide?"

[Lee]

3 hours ago, BrettGC said:

Apparently sex outside of wedlock is the sole cause of all sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.

If stopping the spread of HIV is truly the goal, perhaps stop glamourizing bakla behavior on TV and films.

[JJReyes]

My wife and I have been through secondary inspection by US immigrations only once.  It was a requirement as part of our Global Entry application.  You pay $100 application fee and undergo the questioning once during your next overseas trip when re-entering the United States.  Routine but very detailed questions.  Nearby were non-citizens subjected to harsh interrogation trying to trap them in admission that the purpose of their travel is to find employment or that the woman was part of a sex trafficking syndicate.  I can imagine it being harsher in the Philippines when the BI questioning and delay is a method to solicit a bribe.

This secondary inspection was a one-time event.  Thereafter, our entry is through a special line.  We simply insert the Global Entry card in a machine, a receipt is printed, and we skip both immigrations and customs.  After collecting our bags, we are out of there within 5 minutes.

[Possum]

The thing that bothers me about BI interrogating citizens leaving is these people have for the most part jumped thru all the hoops and gotten clearances, attended seminars etc way before getting to the last step which is immigration. They aren't wanting immigrate to the Philippines they want to leave. I've never been questioned for my reason for leaving the USA or any other country, only why I am arriving.  OFWs contribute about 10% to the GDP of the Philippines and they do one other thing which isn't often mentioned. They keep the peace between the poor who depend on their remittances and the ruling class. Without their remittances there would eventually be a revolution. If BOI's ultimate goal was to keep skilled workers and professionals in the country that would be one thing but that is apparently not their goal as nurses and other professional leave every day. As far as "human trafficking"? Put in prison the agents in the Philippines that facilitate the trafficking but that rarely if ever happens, they just lose their license and open under another entity.

[Lee]

BIs explanation about what happened to the Pinoy traveler to Taiwan:

Quote

 

The BI released a statement on the viral issue on Monday, July 10 without naming the traveler in question. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco noted she raised “multiple red flags,” citing “numerous inconsistencies” in her stories about her sponsor as well as her purpose for flying to Taiwan.

“The traveler, who initially attempted to depart late last month, claimed she is traveling to Taiwan to visit a distant relative,” the BI wrote in a statement.

“However, the immigration officer noted that during the assessment, there was mention of a possible work in Taiwan,” it added. 

The Immigration didn’t mention the controversial “10 birth certificates” issue in the statement, but said that the Pinay traveler was “unable to establish her relationship with her sponsor.” 

They also said that the traveler failed to prove her financial capacity for her supposed 14-day trip to Taiwan.

With this, Tansingco stressed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) guidelines on departure formalities, stating that "departing passengers whose purpose and capacity [are] not fully established may be sponsored by a relative within the fourth civil degree."

“Travelers need not worry as long as they have the appropriate documents that match their actual purpose of travel,” he said. “So many travelers are coming in and out of the country with no issues. Only those with conflicting documentation are subjected to further inspection.” 

According to Tansingco, an investigation on the matter will be ordered "to ensure that officers are able to communicate decisions properly to passengers."

 

Immigration says Pinay in viral '10 birth certificates' issue was denied travel due to 'multiple red flags' (msn.com)

[Kingpin]

19 hours ago, Freebie said:

Only country in the world where a guy in a low paid job ( but a uniform ) gets to deny its citizens their constitutional right to travel

Blaming the 'power tripping' individual is missing the point, these directives come from the top down. "You're under our control, don't forget it." Should be the nation's new slogan.

[RBM]

From my own not inconsiderable experience my conclusion is the front  desk BI guy on a power trip. The actual interview while very time consuming (almost missed our flight) was childish and just like a party for the officers  viewing our Pics. Many I met did in fact miss their flight. One must be there very early, especially if first time for partner to exit.