Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado vowed to cooperate with Sen. Imee Marcos, who will chair a Senate probe into the agency’s irregularities, particularly in the processing of tourist visas.
“We welcome the Senate’s oversight and stand ready to fully cooperate with the investigation… We respect Sen. Imee Marcos’ initiative as a constructive step toward uncovering the truth and ensuring integrity within the BI. Any credible complaint or report is important to us, and we view this as an opportunity to strengthen our ongoing institutional reforms,” Viado said.
“We will not tolerate corruption under our watch. As demonstrated in recent months, this leadership has acted decisively, investigating, suspending, filing both administrative and criminal cases before the Department of Justice, and removing from service those found guilty after due process,” he added.
The immigration official also urged BI Board of Special Inquiry (BSI) Chief Gilberto Repizo, who reportedly exposed the anomalies inside the agency, to utilize internal mechanisms for accountability.
“As a lawyer and an insider, Atty. Repizo is in a position to help us clean the house by submitting any evidence or allegations through proper channels. This approach is far more effective than relaying concerns through other channels without affording the agency the opportunity to address them directly,” Viado said.
“While there are indeed unscrupulous individuals we continue to weed out, we stand by the majority of our personnel who serve with honesty and professionalism. We urge all stakeholders to support our efforts, not undermine them through indirect channels that sidestep due process,” he added.
