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Immigration: Traveler in viral '10 birth certificate' issue raised 'multiple red flags'

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Departing passengers queue before the immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on July 4, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/11/20230704-naia-3-immigration-counters-md-12.jpg"/><figcaption>Departing passengers queue before the immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on July 4, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — A woman who allegedly failed to board her flight to Taiwan after authorities asked her to present 10 birth certificates from family members had raised &quot;multiple red flags&quot;, the Bureau of Immigration said. While the bureau has yet to receive the full report and investigation on the incident, it said initial information showed that the passenger claimed she was traveling to Taiwan to visit a distant relative in late June. However, the immigration officer noted that during the assessment, a possible work in Taiwan was mentioned. The traveler failed to establish her relationship with her sponsor, and gave &quot;numerous inconsistencies&quot; when asked for the sponsor&#x27;s basic details, the BI said on Monday.The passenger also could not establish her personal capacity to sustain herself during the 14-day trip, the bureau said. “Ang assessment po ng immigration officer nakita po was that the intention was different from tourism. So nakita po na magtatrabaho po ang passenger. That’s why proper working documents po ang kinakailangan ipakita,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.(The immigration officer saw that the intention was different from tourism. We saw that the passenger was there to work. That&#x27;s why proper working documents should be shown.)BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco noted that under the Department of Justice’s guidelines, departing passengers whose purpose and capacity are not fully established could be sponsored by a relative within the fourth civil degree.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/14/23/doj-mulls-ai-profiling-at-airports-to-thwart-trafficking">DOJ mulls use of AI profiling at airports to thwart trafficking</a></li></ul>“Travelers need not worry as long as they have the appropriate documents that match their actual purpose of travel,” Tansingco said. “So many travelers are coming in and out of the country with no issues. Only those with conflicting documentation are subjected to further inspection,” he continued.Tansingco added that he would order an investigation on the incident to ensure that officers could communicate decisions properly to passengers. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/30/23/doj-revises-departure-formalities-after-passenger-complaints">DOJ revises departure formalities following complaints from passengers</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/23/ph-meets-us-standards-to-rid-human-trafficking-anew-bi">PH meets US standards to rid human trafficking anew: BI</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/04/26/23/southeast-asia-how-to-combat-a-human-trafficking-crisis">Southeast Asia: How to combat a human trafficking crisis</a></li></ul><div>RELATIVE INSISTS TRIP WAS NOT FOR WORK</div>But the woman&#x27;s cousin Ammie Liau maintained thhat the offloaded passenger was not going to Taiwan for work. Liau said she had secured a letter to invite her cousin to Taichung, Taiwan’s second-largest city, and had it certified at the Manila Economic and Cultural Office. &quot;Iniisip nila na yung pagpunta ng pinsan ko dito is magtatrabaho which is not. Kaya nga nag-provide ako ng inivitation letter para alam nila na malinaw ang intention ko na ang pagpunta niya,” Liau said.(They thought my cousin was going here to work. That&#x27;s why I provided an invitation letter, so they could know that I wanted her to visit.) Liau has been living in Taiwan for decades. She owns a canteen serving Filipino dishes. Liau’s family supported her cousin’s education until the latter married a tricycle driver and had a family of her own. Liau said her cousin, despite being &quot;impoverished,&quot; deserved to visit Taiwan. She said it was already her cousin&#x27;s second failed attempt to visit Taiwan. &quot;Tinanong kung paano kami magkakilala. Kinwento sa kanila story. Hindi daw basehan. Sa pangalawang punta niya, nagdala na siyang picture. Hindi naman sinabi na kailangan ng maraming pictures ng families namin,” Liau said.(She was asked how we&#x27;re related. She told the story. She was told that was not enough of a basis. On her second attempt, she already brought pictures. They did not say that she should have brought many photos.) ASKED TO SHOW BIRTH CERTS? Liau admitted that her cousin had struggled to explain how they were related. “Admitted ako doon kasi sinabi niya din sa kin yan na hindi niya nasagot yung tanong ng immigration officer, yung una. Yung pangalawa, ini-trace namin paano ba kami mag-pinsan. So ayun sinabi niya, na third cousin. Sabi ng immigration officer ‘Ma&#x27;am, ‘pag ganito malamang nasa 5th to 7th degree cousin na kayo. So &#x27;pag ganito ma&#x27;am mga 10 birth certificates na,’” Liau said.(I admit that she said she couldn&#x27;t answer the questions of the immigration officer the first time. By the second attempt, we have already traced how we are cousins. She said we are third cousins. But the immigration officer said, &quot;Ma&#x27;am, it&#x27;s likely you are 5th to 7th degree cousins. That requires 10 birth certificates.&quot;)The Bureau of Immigration earlier denied asking the passenger for 10 birth certificates.“Perhaps it was part of the discussion, under the DOJ guidelines, isa po sa pwede mag-sponsor ay relative within the 4th civil degree. So perhaps po during the interview nung passenger, the immigration officer might have been trying to determine if this sponsor is really within the fourth civil degree as initially stated po ng passenger,&quot; Sandoval said. “Through the interview nakita po ng officer na maraming nakitang inconsistencies even the most minor details of the identity of the sponsor. Kumbaga hindi matching sa sinabi ng passenger,” she added. (Perhaps during the interview, the immigration officer might have been trying to determine if this sponsor is really within the fourth civil degree. The officer saw any inconsistencies, even the minor details of the identity of the sponsor. The statements of the passenger did not match.)The immigration bureau reminded passengers to be truthful with their intention of going outside the country to avoid getting offloaded. Sandoval also urged passengers to be at the airport three hours before their international flight to have ample time for departure procedures.“Una sa lahat let’s be truthful. Kung tayo po ay normal na turista at wala po tayong masamang intention and we are just going abroad for tourism purposes then we do not have to worry. Kailangan lang po ang ating dokumento ay ready and prepared and we do not need po siguro na magsinungaling if we have other intention, we secure the proper documents po,” Sandoval said.(If we are tourists and lack any ill intent, then we do not have to worry. We just need to prepare our documents. And we do not need to lie if we have other intentions, we should just secure the proper documents.)The Bureau of Immigration offloaded 0.5 percent or almost 18,000 of the total 3,555,287 departing Filipino passengers from January to June nationwide.For travelers visiting other countries for tourism, basic requirements include a valid passport, visa if applicable, return flight ticket, and a government-issued ID. OFWs meanwhile should prepare a valid passport, valid visa, airline travel tickets, and an Overseas Employment Certificate. <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2502965" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2500898" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

A woman who allegedly failed to travel to Taiwan after being asked her to present 10 birth certificates had raised 'multiple red flags', the BI said.