MANILA—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the dismissal of Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco following recommendations by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, citing loss of trust and confidence amid several controversies.
According to the Philippines News Agency, Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed the president's decision, which came after serious irregularities were reported within the BI, including issues related to unauthorized visa issuances and the escape of a high-profile individual facing legal charges. Remulla, in a recent television interview, expressed his deep concerns about the functioning of the BI under Tansingco's leadership, highlighting the case of the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Alice Guo, who left the country under suspicious circumstances.
The controversies include allegations that working visas were issued to nonexistent corporations as a front to bring illegal gambling workers into the Philippines. Despite these issues being raised with Tansingco, Remulla stated, "he never did anything" about them. Tansingco, who attended a Senate hearing on the matter, remarked that he had not yet been officially informed of his removal.
The case of Alice Guo, who fled the Philippines using a Philippine passport on July 18, has drawn significant attention. She traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and subsequently to Singapore and Indonesia, where she was arrested on September 3. Despite her claims to the Senate that no Filipino government officials facilitated her departure, the BI stated she and her companions left the country "illegally without undergoing regular immigration inspection."
Further complicating the scenario, Remulla criticized the behavior of immigration and National Bureau of Investigation operatives who took selfies with Guo upon her return, calling for a cultural change within the agencies involved. "That needs a big apology, and a reprimand. Wanted persons should not be celebrated," Remulla emphasized, signaling a need for stricter adherence to professional conduct within government operations.