The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday advised all foreign travelers who are leaving the country during the upcoming Undas holiday break to comply with their immigration departure requirements early to avoid unnecessary queuing at the airport on the date of their departure.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco reminded registered foreigners who are studying, working, or living permanently in the Philippines that they can obtain their special return certificate (SRC) or re-entry permit (RP) prior to departure at any of the various BI's district, field, satellite, or extension offices nationwide.

While foreign tourists who have stayed in the country for more than six months may also secure their emigration clearance certificates (ECC) before departure, Tansingco said securing the required permits early will decrease queueing time by half, as they will not have to line up at the BI's airport cashiers anymore.

The BI chief added that with the complete elimination of all COVID-related travel restrictions, the bureau is anticipating a spike in passengers at all international airports in the country, especially at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), this upcoming December, and this time they are also experiencing a big increase in the volume of New Year's Day travelers.

During this peak season, the bureau reminded all travelers that other immigration services are also available online via the BI's e-services portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.

Tansingco shared that the bureau also has a one-stop shop (OSS) facility located at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City, where departing aliens may also secure the said documents.

He also reiterated previous reminders for passengers to arrive at least three hours prior to their flight and go straight to immigration after check-in.

The BI is confident that its operations will be smoother this holiday season as it has deployed additional immigration officers and assigned a rapid response team as well as mobile counters for immediate deployment as necessary.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 24 October, BI agents detained a South Korean wanted person who was allegedly part of a major narcotics ring that smuggled contraband into Korea from the Philippines.

Commissioner Tansingco identified the suspect as Choi Sun Hyeok, a 56-year-old male who was arrested at his residence in Bgy. Lahug, Cebu City by the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) operatives. 

The BI-FSU operatives were armed with a warrant of deportation, which Tansingco issued pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI Board of Commissioners issued against Choi in 2017. 

Tansingco said that Choi would be immediately deported to Seoul, South Korea after the bureau had secured the necessary clearances for his departure. 

According to the South Korean government, Choi was tagged as a high-profile fugitive, as he is believed to be a member of the so-called MS Alliance syndicate that facilitates the illicit transport of narcotics to Korea. 

A red notice for his capture was also issued by Interpol this year after an investigation confirmed that he was in the country.

According to Interpol's National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila, Choi is the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by the Changwon District Court in Korea, where he is charged with violating his country's narcotics control act. 

Investigators have also established that this year alone, Choi's accomplices in the syndicate managed to smuggle into Korea more than 265 grams of methamphetamine by concealing the drug in their underwear. 

It was gathered that the passport of Choi, who will be committed to the BI detention facility in Taguig City, was already revoked by the Korean government, thus making him an undocumented alien.

Choi's name was also placed on the BI blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines.