Aguirre: BI officers’ flight affects national security

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II yesterday pushed the panic button on the flight of Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers due to the scrapping of funding for their overtime pay.

In an ambush interview in his office, Aguirre warned of grave repercussions of the ongoing impasse on the funding for overtime compensation of BI officers in the airports following the veto by President Duterte on the use of funds from airport express lane fees.

Aguirre revealed that 32 immigration personnel have already resigned while 50 others have filed a leave of absence for six months to look for another job.

“Many of our immigration officers are no longer reporting for work, filing leave and no longer reporting for overtime duties because they are not getting paid,” lamented Aguirre, who further bared that the BI now has 2,700 personnel but actually needs 4,000.

He stressed that apart from the long queues in the immigration counters at the airport, the insufficient number of BI officers could also affect national security since the agency is in charge of regulating the entry of foreigners in the country. 

“If there are not enough people manning our ports of exit and entry, that would jeopardize our national security,” he lamented.

Aguirre said the problem is affecting the operation of the Department of Transportation at the aiport and could affect the Department of Tourism.

The government discontinued appropriation on overtime pay of BI officers since the 2017 national budget took effect last Jan. 1.

Duterte vetoed last December the use of express lane charges collected by the BI, which was intended for payment of salaries of casual and contractual personnel, confidential agents and job employees, augmentation of salaries of personnel who render services beyond office hours and payment of health insurance premium. 

Under the law, the said funds collected from use of express lanes will now go to the national treasury. 

Prior to this fiscal reform recommended by Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Aguirre said BI officers who earn P14,000 in monthly salary were getting as much as P48,000 a month in overtime pay.