The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will also be taking action concerning the suspected abduction of a student after leaving a British School campus in Taguig City.
During the Meet the Press Weekly Forum by the National Press Club of the Philippines on Tuesday, February 25, BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the agency is currently looking into the possibility of POGO operations having any involvement in the child’s abduction.
Aside from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the report by RH 29 Boy Gonzales mentioned that the immigration bureau is also looking into whether a foreigner was involved in the said incident.
However, the BI said that it would not elaborate on what aspect of the investigation it would be conducting, as it has already assigned specific personnel for the job.
Sandoval advised the public to be wary of and report suspicious groups in the areas, especially if they are in and out of big groups and are aloof in the community.
“Yes po, kung may mga malalaking grupo halimbawa ng foreign nationals in their areas, suspicious kasi ‘yan eh. Nagatatago ‘yan, hindi basta basta lumalabs. Pero makikita natin na in and out, malalaking grupo. Kaduda-duda yung mga gawa na hindi nakikipag-usap–aloof sa community,” Sandoval said.
“Hindi masyadong nagmiminggle sa community, unfamiliar faces in your areas. Even yung mga local government units, if may mga building or establishment that are being given permits na in the guise lang of a certain type of work or company, pero online gaming pala,” she added.
The BI Spokesperson said that individuals may report such incidents to their social media pages, and assured that their identities would not be exposed to the public.
“You can always report po kahit doon sa social media page natin any time. Confidential po ang information na matatangap, hindi po namin sasabihin yung inyong identity doon sa mga na-report ninyo,” Sandoval assured.
“This is a joint effort of all government agencies in the country. Kasi stern po ang bilin ng ating Pangulo to ban POGOs. So lahat po tayo din as individuals, meron din po tayong responsibilidad na protektahan din po natin yung bansa natin from the operations of these interpols,” she added.
In the meantime, the BI assured that they would continue coordinating with the PNP, the NBI, and the child’s family.
The student was reported missing after leaving the British School Manila's Bonifacio Global City Campus last week. The institution issued a statement a day after the incident, and assured they are working closely with the child's family and authorities to support the investigation.
