NO PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN GUO’S ILLEGAL EXIT — BI

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado on Tuesday confirmed that according to the results of their initial investigation, there is no evidence that personnel of the agency are involved in Alice Guo’s illegal exit.

Viado made the statement after the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights continued the investigation in Guo’s previous escape.

During the hearing, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) confirmed that the most probable mode of exit was via backdoor in the southernmost part of the country.

Viado said that while private coastlines and airstrips are not manned by the BI, and are under the monitoring of their local government units (LGUs) and the local law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the BI is deeply concerned that the country’s porous borders are being abused by unscrupulous individuals.

Apart from wanted personalities, the BI also previously reported backdoor exits of trafficking victims, who end up tortured working in scam hubs abroad.

In relation to this, Viado thanked the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for efforts to curb illegal backdoor exits.

Viado shared the IACAT conducted a November 2024 study on illegal backdoor routes, and recommended better engagement of LGUs and LEAs with the IACAT in the implementation of anti-trafficking laws in the southern region.

“The misuse of backdoor exits has reportedly been a tactic to evade proper inspection by authorities,” said Viado.

“We commend IACAT for uniting member agencies to effectively address this national security concern,”  he added.

In August 2024, it was reported that Guo had already fled the Philippines on July 17 for Malaysia, and then traveled to Singapore, and finally to Indonesia, where she was arrested on September 3, 2024.

Guo was deported back to the Philippines on September 5 last year.