The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has placed all its personnel in the different ports nationwide on heightened alert in view of the forthcoming 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States .

 

            BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. instructed all BI personnel in the airports and seaports to “exercise utmost vigilance,” especially in profiling arriving international travelers.

 

            “You shall closely monitor those who could pose potential threats to national security, especially suspected foreign terrorists,” David stated in his memorandum order to officials of the bureau’s airport operations, immigration regulation and intelligence divisions.

 

            He added that if a foreign passenger is found inadmissible, he should be turned back, excluded and booked on the available flight back to his port of origin.

            David issued the alert order to prevent the entry of foreign terrorists who might be plotting terrorist activities violent  to mark the anniversary of the bloody Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the US that killed nearly 3,000 people.

 

            The Philippines has been an active participant in the global war against terror and its military has been battling members of the Mindanao-based Abu Sayyaf group, which is linked to the Al Qaeda network founded by the late Osama bin Laden.

 

            Lawyer Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI acting intelligence chief, disclosed that the bureau has in its blacklist hundreds of foreigners suspected of involvement in terrorism.

 

            Mangrobang said these aliens are all subject to immediate exclusion upon arriving in any of the more than 50 international airports and seaports throughout the country.

 

            Under the Philippine immigration act, foreigners deemed as potential threats to national security are not eligible for admission to the Philippines .

 

            Aliens who fall under this category and who are turned back are later placed in the immigration blacklist, thus banning them from returning to the Philippines .###