DFA processed 3,000 passports for Sabah returnees

By Sali D. Jamasali

The on-going purge for illegal immigrants by Malaysian authorities in Sabah has caused thousands of Filipinos being apprehended and subsequently deported to Philippines after serving jail terms.  

This situation has alarmed the local government in Tawi-Tawi and took Congresswoman Ruby Sahali and his younger brother, Governor Nurbert Sahali to initiate a measure helping Filipino deportees acquire passports so that those who wanted to go back and work in Sabah may return fully documented.

A group of 15-man special team from Manila DFA arrived in Bongao last month and began processing passports for returnees, deportees and even regular applicants.

The venue of the one-stop processing center was at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall wherein all agencies concerned in the passporting procedure were housed together. 

 The agencies include DFA, DSWD, DOLE, NSO,  NCMF,  and OWWA.

In an interview with the 15-man special passporting team from DFA by Radyo ng Bayan Tawi-Tawi, the DFA passporting personnel disclosed that their presence in Tawi-Tawi was an initiative of Congresswoman and the Governor of Tawi-Tawi.

“It is the desire of the two officials that DFA is here in Tawi-Tawi because these officials want to help their people,” they said.

Meanwhile, OWWA Region IX Director Hassan Jumdain said that of the 3,000 approved applications DFA has already released about 1,200 passports to the early applicants.

He further said that the remaining documents will be released to the applicants before August 31 as this is the date DFA has pledged to release all the passports.