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Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco announced that it has intensified its intelligence operations in the provinces.

According to Tansingco, he ordered BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. to look into reports of illegal aliens that might be hiding in far flung areas of the country.

Manahan reported that they have recently arrested illegal aliens in the provinces of La Union and Laguna.

Arrested on Feb. 28 was Indian national Harpreet Singh, 34, who was collared at his residence in Agoo, La Union by operatives from the BI intelligence division. Investigation showed that Singh had overstayed in the country for more than four years as his last record of arrival here was in February 2018.

On same date, intelligence operatives arrested 5 Chinese nationals inside a warehouse in Binan, Laguna. The five Chinese nationals were arrested for being undocumented, overstaying, and working without proper visas in violation of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

Manahan shared that regional intelligence officers have been deployed to conduct investigations in different regions of the country.

Tansingco relaunched the Immigration Helpline PH 24/7, which aims to encourage netizens to report illegal aliens in their areas.

The helpline was conceptualized as a direct line to the Office of the Commissioner for those who might have concerns, queries, or suggestions for the BI.

“We have expanded the scope of the helpline to accommodate anonymous reports from the public about illegal aliens that might be hiding in their areas,” said Tansingco. “We see that social media is a powerful tool, and it can be used to receive valuable information that might help us rid the country of foreign nationals abusing our hospitality,” he added. BI News