INCORRIGIBLE CORRUPTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION • (3023 bytes)
Posted: 5/26/2005 • 13:35 GMT+8

By: stimpy
registered: 5/26/2005
member
United Arab Emirates
 

My name is Veronica and I am one of the thousands of OCWs working here in the emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. I trust that my letter finds you and your family, as well as the members of your staff, in good health.

I am writing to direct your attention to the never ending and, now much worse, corruption in our government, particularly in the Department of Immigration. You know, it is so pitiful (an understatement) that the people elected to govern and protect the Filipino people are the same people who crawls under our skin and make the Filipinos' life wretchedly poor.

Let me give you an example. I have a friend who was to leave for Dubai sometime February 2005. She went into the Immigration booth, presented her travel documents and was questioned for the purpose of her trip. She answered quite satisfactorily, however the Immigration Officer gave some intimidating suggestions that in end she was made to surrender her passport and visa to this Immigration Officer. Her passport and Visit Visa to the UAE are both both authentic and legit. Reason for not allowing her? She was told that she is not really just touring and visiting Dubai but will be looking for a job. There were 14 other people who were UAE bound that day. All of them got held up, however several were allowed to leave. Reason? These people paid PHP15,000 each to the Immigration Officers.

These Immigration staff and the TASK FORCE people assigned at the NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT are milking as much as PHP20,000 per person to passengers who are UAE bound. These people are supposed to check the authenticity of the travel document, including the visa of the outbound passenger and the legitimate reason for the travel. When both are present, do they have any reason to hold the passenger? Please enlighten me on this one because these Immigration staff and TASK FORCE people hold passengers even if the required documents are presented.

Let us say, for argument's sake, that these people who come to the UAE on visit visa will take their chance in finding a job while they are here, is that a crime? Would we live and work in a foreign land if our government could create jobs for us in the Philippines? If these people eventually find a job, would not the Philippine economy gain as well through inbound foreign currency remittances because the ULTIMATE reason why these people take this chance is to provide for their families?

I look up to you to expose this anomaly and for justice to be served. If these people would like to make a point and impose a rule, then please no double standards. Our country is a beautiful country and we are still proud to be called Filipinos because Filipinos are revered to be good people and hard workers. Maybe there still is a cure to the cancer in our government but the government must start to realize that they have been mandated by the Filipino people to serve and to preserve our rights not take them away.

Please do something.