Tulfo files bill on reimbursement of offloaded passengers

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has filed a measure seeking to mandate the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by Filipino passengers who were deferred or denied boarding due to unjustified and prolonged pre-departure procedures of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Tulfo, chairperson of the committee on public services, filed Senate Bill No. 1657 after his office received multiple complaints from passengers who were offloaded by the BI supposedly due to inconsistent assessment standards and refusal to review documents, with most of them alleging that BI lacked clear explanation for their denial.

“Prolonged immigration interviews, which are usually conducted in the context of anti-trafficking efforts have, in certain instances, resulted in Filipino passengers missing their scheduled flights despite the absence of a formal court order directing their deferment or denial of departure. Thus, affected passengers are forced to shoulder additional travel expenses even though they are not at fault,” he said.

“While the State recognizes the vital role of the Bureau of Immigration in enforcing immigration laws and implementing anti-trafficking measures, it is equally imperative to safeguard the rights of Filipino passengers and ensure that they are protected from unnecessary financial burdens arising from deferred or denied boarding,” he added.

While some airlines provide refunds and allow rebookings to offloaded passengers as a matter of goodwill, such as Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, Tulfo said these accommodations are outside the Civil Aeronautics Board’s mandates and depend solely on airline policy.

Tulfo said SB 1657, to be known as the “Passenger Protection and Reimbursement for Deferred Departures Act” aims to codify into law clear, uniform and transparent provisions governing the reimbursement of such travel expenses, consistent with existing laws and fiscal accountability standards.