The Department of Justice (DOJ) has put on hold the revised travel guidelines for Filipinos leaving the country after the new requirements, initiated by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), drew strong criticism from lawmakers.
The suspension came after the Senate adopted two resolutions urging the IACAT to suspend and review the new guidelines and authorizing Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) before the Supreme Court (SC) against its implementation.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, who also heads IACAT, defended the revised guidelines, saying they were intended to streamline departure procedures and not curtail people’s right to travel.
“The revisions were not intended to burden the general public but rather to enhance the overall experience of departing passengers,” he said.
Remulla acknowledged the need to suspend the implementation of the guidelines to address the concerns raised by senators and the public.
He also assured the public that the DOJ is committed to upholding the rights and welfare of all individuals, including the right to travel freely.
“We assure the public that the revised guidelines aim to strike a balance between national security and the facilitation of smooth and efficient travel,” he said.
The Senate adopted resolutions after several senators expressed apprehension that the stricter guidelines for departing Filipino passengers would hamper the people’s constitutionally guaranteed right to travel.
The stricter guidelines require all international-bound Filipino passengers to undergo immigration inspection for assessment, clearance, and documentation.
They are also required to show basic travel documents, a passport, valid at least six months from the date of departure, an appropriate valid visa (whenever required), a boarding pass, and a confirmed return or round trip ticket, when necessary.
The guidelines added that the primary immigration officer (IO) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is mandated to interview the passenger about the purpose of his or her travel and inspect the basic travel documents.
The guidelines allow the immigration officer to ask questions and require the passenger to show additional supporting documents to establish the purpose of travel.
The passenger may only be allowed to leave after sufficiently establishing his or her declared purpose of travel.
The primary immigration officer may refer outbound passengers to a secondary inspection if they fail to establish their purpose of travel during the primary inspection or are unable to produce supporting documents such as proof of financial capacity to travel.
The measures are aimed at curbing human trafficking, but critics say that all the guidelines will achieve is to inconvenience Filipino outbound travelers.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said the suspension of the travel guidelines showed that the government listens.
He thanked the IACAT for heeding their call to defer the new travel guidelines, which senators described as “unreasonable.”
Villanueva said he looked forward to working with the DOJ and the IACAT to find better ways to combat human trafficking.
Senator Grace Poe also welcomed the suspension of the guidelines, saying they averted what could become a chaotic situation in the country’s airports.