BI urges condo owners to report illegal activities of foreigners
IMMIGRATION Commissioner Norman Tansingco urged condominium building owners to report illegal activities of aliens in their areas.
The appeal was made after the Senate Committee on Women, Children, and Family Relations chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros exposed that condominium units in Metro Manila are being abused to house crypto currency scam operations.
“Both local law enforcement agencies and the BI have difficulty simply entering condominiums, as these are residential areas, unlike offices of companies,” said Tansingco.
Tansingco reminded condo building owners that fighting trafficking is a shared responsibility of everyone, and Filipinos should report any illegal activities in their area to the appropriate agencies.
He also warned condo building owners that failure to report such activities could be considered as harboring illegal aliens, which is considered a criminal offense under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 and violators may face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“If there are illegal aliens in your vicinity, report them to immigration, or to the local law enforcement agencies,” said Tansingco. “Protectors of aliens doing illegal activities in the country are also liable by law,” he said. Jun I. Legaspi/Hector Lawas
