Ombudsman, DFA clash heats up

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday rejected Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla’s assertion that authority over visa processing belongs to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), as he repeated his accusation that the department had turned the process into a business.

The DFA said it holds exclusive statutory authority over Philippine visa issuance and processing, not the BI, which is under the Department of Justice (DoJ).

“The DFA categorically rejects the assertions made during the program that disregard its express statutory authority and attribute institutional impropriety to the Department without specific and verifiable evidence,” the department said.

The statement followed Remulla’s remarks in a radio program over the weekend, in which he again accused the DFA of turning visa processing into a profit-making operation with the help of travel agencies.

He cited a complaint filed before the DoJ by a “very big Filipino businessman in China” during his stint as justice secretary, before he became Ombudsman.

Remulla said he had confronted DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro over alleged irregularities in visa processing, which reportedly led to a clash. “I’m not doing this behind her back. I said it to her face,” the Ombudsman said.

‘Gatekeeper’

Remulla argued that the BI should have primary authority over visa matters and policies, saying the bureau serves as the gatekeeper.

The exchange comes amid reports of foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, exploiting visa-free entry to remain in the Philippines illegally and engage in scam hubs and POGO-related operations, despite the ban on the latter.

Remulla said about 1 percent of Chinese nationals who entered under the scheme had overstayed during their first two months.

He also insisted that visa facilitation services should be outsourced to an international third-party service provider to ensure stricter vetting.

The DFA countered that while a third party may provide administrative support in receiving and facilitating visa applications, the authority to assess, approve or deny Philippine visas remains a sovereign state function vested in the department.

It said this authority “cannot be transferred to a private entity through an outsourcing arrangement.”

‘False, irresponsible’

The department also denied issuing “fake” passports or imposing documentary requirements designed to make visa applications difficult.

This contradicted claims by Remulla and another panelist that the complicated and time-consuming process had prompted travelers to bypass lawful applications and use travel agencies.

The DFA described the statements made during the program as unfounded, false and irresponsible.

An ongoing Senate probe has revealed how Chinese nationals circumvent the law and exploit its loopholes to unlawfully acquire Filipino citizenship.

In 2023, Senator Loren Legarda also raised concerns about possible collusion among government agencies, particularly the DFA and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in the illicit issuance of birth certificates to Chinese nationals for passport applications.

The PSA has identified more than 50,000 potentially fraudulent late birth registrations and endorsed 1,484 to the Office of the Solicitor General for cancellation.