An investigation on special visas has been sought for its suspected link to the inundation of Chinese nationals in the Philippines.
House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Partylist representative Erwin Tulfo specified these visas: the special resident retiree's visa, special investor's resident visa, and the late registration for a birth certificate.
"Ang mas nakababahala ay kung paano sila nakapasok sa atin? Ano ang mga pinanghahawakan nilang dokumento bakit sila nakapagtrabaho nang legal sa ating bansa?" Tulfo questioned.
["What is more worrying is, how have they gotten here? What documents do they hold, why are they able to legally work here in our country?"]
The majority leader cited the Philippine Retirement Authority's (PRA) data, which shows that 79,000 foreign retirees reside in the country, 30,000 of which are Chinese and have been granted permanent residence.
He called attention to PRA's regulations, which accepted retirees as young as 35 years of age from 1992 until April 2021, when the age requirement was bumped up to 50.
Tulfo pointed out that the process for granting special permits and the availing of exemptions, from providing immigration requirements to paying taxes, may have been abused. Delayed birth records in particular are relevant in suspended Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo's case.
