BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that the alleged foreign spies recently arrested by authorities have seemingly embedded themselves to society.
Viado said that in furtherance to President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr.’s strict directive to protect national sovereignty.
The BI Chief said that they have conducted an investigation into the records of the alleged spies and found that they have all been here for decades.
“Some have been here as early as 2002,” said Viado. “They have been holding legal statuses, and have lived in the country for a long time before they were found to be doing suspicious activities by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Without providing too much detail, Viado said that some of those arrested had working visas linked to companies in San Juan and Manila, while others were married to Filipinas.
Viado also urged citizens to report to authorities any suspicious activities of foreign nationals that might be detrimental to national security.
“We are serious in our efforts to stop these undesirable aliens from abusing our hospitality,” said Viado.
He added that they are closely working with the Department of Justice (DOJ), NBI, and the AFP to collate information about the suspects.
