I Love Pinoys

A top official of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation arrived Wednesday in Zamboanga City to head and assess the travel documents of Filipino deportees from Sabah, Malaysia.

Close to a thousand illegal Filipino immigrants have been arriving in Zamboanga City every week.

On Wednesday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Center for Displaced Persons in Barangay Talon-talon prepared accommodation for the arrival of an estimated 269 Filipino deportees.

Jose Carandang Jr. head of the newly-created task force deportees said that through their assessment they will be able to determine the true citizenship of the immigrants who claim they have been in Malaysia for a long period of time.

“Wala tayong nababasa pa sa mga regulation ng Malaysia ukol sa papaano nila binibigay ang kanilang citizenship pero gusto lang nating tiyakin na ang dumarating dito sa Zamboanga City ay authentic na mga Pilipino,” Carandang said.

Carandang said an immigration attaché based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia gives out travel documents to the deportees before boarding a vessel.

Carandang also admitted that the bureau lacks the necessary manpower to respond to the needs of the increased arrival of Filipino deportees in Zamboanga City. He said however that they will soon fill the vacancies to fasttrack the processing of deportees’ documents.