105 foreigners arrested in raid at BPO firm in Laguna
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente announced the arrest of 105 foreign nationals at a raid of a business process outsourcing (BPO) company in Biñan, Laguna.
Arrested were 97 Chinese, 4 Indonesians, 3 Malaysians, 1 Vietnamese, and 1 Laotian, the BI said.
According to Morente, the foreigners were caught by operatives from BI's Intelligence Division (ID), working at a BPO without the necessary visas on Thursday morning.
"They failed to present any proof of identification, during verification formalities," Morente added.
BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said of the 105 arrested aliens, 21 were female while 84 were male.
“There was even one minor?a 17 year old female?who was obviously trafficked to work here illegally, which brings the number to a total of 106,” she said.
According to Sandoval, information about the illegal aliens came from several complaints from the community.
She stated most of those arrested were undocumented or were able to present only tourist visas.
“They were arrested for violating the conditions of their stay,” said Sandoval.
“Foreigners are not allowed to work here without the proper visas or permits,” she added.
Sandoval said the 105 will be detained in BI’s holding facility in Bicutan, Taguig while ongoing deportation.
She said the ID recommended for the release of the minor under recognizance to her guardian, but may still be ordered to leave the country by BI’s legal team if found to have indeed engaged in illegal work.
Morente expressed his dismay upon learning of big companies employing illegal aliens.
"Cases like this show that some foreign nationals think that they could just get away with illegal activities in the country easily," he said.
Morente warned that illegal aliens shall be arrested and deported.
"This should serve as a warning to aliens with depraved motives. We are serious in our drive against illegal aliens. Foreigners who are undocumented should go out now and legalize their stay, lest face sanctions," Morente said.
Morente encouraged citizens to report illegal aliens in their community.
“Many of our arrests came from complaints, reports, and tips from concerned citizens,” said Morente. “This is a big help for us in pinpointing the location of illegal aliens who may be hiding in the most remote places of the country. '' DMS
