DOJ orders probe into alleged issuance of work visas to fake companies

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said that he asked the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to investigate its legal department following its issuance of work visas to alleged "fake" corporations and sole proprietorships.

In a press briefing, Remulla said that the BI's legal department "allowed" the issuance of "9G" or pre-arranged employment visas to foreign individuals to have lawful work in the Philippines. 

"Maraming corporations that are petitioning for 9G visas are fake corporations or non-entities, which the legal department of the Bureau of Immigration allowed," Remulla said.

(Many corporations petitioning for 9G visas are fake or non-existent entities, and these were allowed by the legal department of the Bureau of Immigration.)

According to Remulla, the said companies that were issued "thousands" of visas were not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and some are related to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Corp. (POGO).

Remulla said the alleged fake entities, which are local "companies", were "accepted" without validation.

"We're talking about more than 500 corporations and thousands and thousands of visas issued with the petition of these corporations which has been presumed validated by the legal department and the visa issuing authority of the Bureau of Immigration," the justice chief said. 

"It is an affront to our sovereignty that these people have been issuing all of these to them," he added.

Remulla also ordered the BI to only issue visas to corporations that are registered with the SEC and also asked BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco to finish the investigation by the end of the month.

"I am challenging the immigration commissioner to put this matter as a priority so that we stop making a fool of Filipinos," he said. 

On Dec. 12, 2023, the BI suspended the issuance of 9G visas with single proprietorship as petitioners.

In the same month, the immigration bureau also blacklisted 400 foreign nationals after being petitioned by fake companies.

Philstar.com has reached out to the BI for comment about the issue, but they have yet to issue a statement, according to BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval.