398 NAIA immigration personnel reassigned

Close to 400 immigration personnel assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been reassigned anew, a continuing effort of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to curb corruption in its ranks, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

BI port operations division chief Carlos Capulong said a total of 398 immigration officers, rendering primary inspection duties, were affected by the reshuffle.

He said the move was the second rotation of BI-NAIA personnel this year. The first one was last March, aimed to prevent fraternization among the bureau’s airport personnel.

Aside from immigration officers manning NAIA’s counters, Capulong said a daily reshuffle of the terminal assignments of more than 80 immigration supervisors is also implemented.

Training of new officers

Commissioner Jaime Morente said the bureau is set to begin training 195 newly-hired immigration officers.

He said the new employees, whose appointments were signed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, will start their training program on immigration laws, rules and procedures at the bureau's academy in Clark, Pampanga.

“We expect these new officers to assume their duties this September and their deployment will definitely solve our perennial problem of lack of manpower in our airports,” Morente said in a statement.

He said the appointment of the new inspectors would augment the number of personnel not only at the NAIA but also in other international airports.