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Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado as seen in an undated photo.
Bureau of Immigration / Released
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Monday, March 31, its plan to recommend legal sanctions against Filipinos who leave the country illegally, citing the absence of a specific law penalizing such actions.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said the Philippines lacks a specific law against illegal departures. Currently cases, he said, are prosecuted under related violations, such as document falsification or passport tampering.
Viado argued that criminalizing illegal exits would serve as a deterrent to traffickers and encourage potential victims to reconsider offers from syndicates. “Criminalizing illegal exits would serve as a strong deterrent to traffickers and would make victims think twice in accepting such offers,” Viado said in a statement.
Recent cases. The statement follows the recent repatriation of 54 Filipinos from Myanmar, who allegedly exited the country through backdoor routes facilitated by traffickers. Viado said the victims were likely transported on small boats used to secretly move individuals abroad.
“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Viado said, urging lawmakers to address the issue and prevent more Filipinos from falling prey to trafficking syndicates.
Viado commended law enforcement efforts in Zamboanga, where authorities arrested a suspect only known as "Fiona," believed to have facilitated illegal departures via small boats.
Similarly, the National Bureau of Investigation apprehended "Jon Jon," one of the repatriated individuals from Myanmar’s scam hubs, who was identified by colleagues as a recruiter despite initially claiming victim status.
Backdoor exits in high-profile cases. The BI chief also disclosed that high-profile personalities have used backdoor routes to evade detection.
Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque allegedly traveled illegally by sea from Tawi-Tawi to Sabah, Malaysia—a common route for undocumented travelers.
Guo fled due to alleged involvement in illicit Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators activities and was later arrested in Indonesia after traveling through Malaysia and Singapore. Roque, meanwhile, reportedly arrived in the United Arab Emirates without any record of departure from the Philippines.
Border security. Viado stressed that addressing human trafficking requires coordinated efforts across government agencies and local authorities, particularly in monitoring vulnerable areas like southern border coastlines.
