THE Department of Foreign Affairs has suspended the issuance of hajj passports following proposals in Congress to extend the validity of passports to 10 years after allegations of irregularities in their distribution.
Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay disclosed this during the agency’s 2017 budget presentation before the House committee on appropriations chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles.
“I am predisposed at this point to make the suspension on a permanent basis by making representations with Congress as (members) deliberate on the law that will extend the term of the passports from five years to 10 years to have this hajj passport withdrawn completely,” Yasay told lawmakers Tuesday.
Yasay also announced the DFA is suspending the issuance of Hajj passports to Filipino pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia following an alleged irregularity.
“I have issued an order for the immediate suspension of the issuance of these hajj passports pending the outcome of the investigation,” Yasay said.
Yasay said that an internal probe is undergoing regarding the issue following the arrest of 177 Indonesian pilgrims found with fraudulently obtained Philippine hajj passports for a flight to Mecca.
Employees of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos have said a P200-million anomaly is allegedly behind the arrest of foreign nationals found with fraudulently obtained Philippine hajj passports for a flight to Mecca.
Yasay said the inquiry proved the questionable passports were issued at the DFA’s Aseana office in Metro Manila and based on the certification from NCMF.
“There was no person-to-person contact with the actual applicant for the purpose of our contact officials at the DFA to interview them to really determine their identity and proof that they are Filipinos,” Yasay said.
He said he suspects an erring DFA staff could have been a contact of Indonesians for the fake passports.
Earlier, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu filed House Resolution 258 asking the House committee on foreign affairs to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the matter.
Mangudadatu filed the resolution for a congressional probe as Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the immediate filing of a case for violation of immigration laws against the Indonesians for misrepresenting themselves as Filipinos and for being undesirable aliens.
In his resolution, Mangudadatu said 177 Indonesian nationals were arrested on Aug. 19 by the Immigration authorities for disguising as Filipinos as they attempted to leave the country to participate in the Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
“The Indonesians were about to board Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR 8969 bound for Madinah, Saudi Arabia when Immigration personnel stopped them, along with five Filipinos who were supposed to accompany them in their trip,” the resolution said.
Based on the initial investigation, Mangudadatu said the Indonesians were given Philippine passports to enable them to join the Hajj pilgrimage, which will run from Sept 9 to 14, using the quota reserved for Filipino pilgrims by the Saudi government.
The organizers, according to Mangudadatu, said there were no more available Hajj slots for Indonesians, hence they used the quota intended for Filipino Muslims.
He said the Indonesians reportedly arrived in the country individually as tourists a few weeks before their scheduled pilgrimage and gave Jolo, Sulu as their address.