MANILA, Philippines ? Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has called on employees of the Bureau of Immigration to support the ?house-cleaning? efforts being undertaken to eradicate corruption and reform the agency.

In a message to employees on the bureau?s 70th anniversary, De Lima hailed the the agency for taking significant steps to combat corruption. Her speech was delivered by Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III.

De Lima noted that the ?process of cleaning house? was already well underway even as she underscored the need to build up the momentum for reform so it would ?snowball to greater effect.?

She conceded, however, that cleaning the bureau was not an easy task and that, in certain cases, resistance would be fierce. She added that resistance was expected from individuals who benefited for years from the ?corrupt and crooked? status quo.

?They will not give up without a fight but neither will we,? De Lima said, as she affirmed her support for recent initiatives implemented in the bureau by officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma.

De Lima added that immigration officers were performing a great service as one of the gatekeepers of the country by filtering the flow of people into and out of the country.

?You help make the first contact, and we therefore look to you to ensure that this contact is one which enhances our reputation and boosts our image in the eyes of the world. There is therefore no place for graft and corruption in the BI,? De Lima said.

Ledesma recently reshuffled the immigration supervisors and immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and at the Mactan and Clark airports.

The revamp was an offshoot of previous reports alleging that some BI personnel had been conniving with human trafficking syndicates in facilitating the departure of undocumented overseas Filipino workers via the notorious escort racket at the airports.

Ledesma also sacked 39 BI employees and suspended 23 others who were charged with gross misconduct and other administrative offenses, including extortion.

He also terminated the services of some 350 confidential agents and recalled to their mother units scores of government personnel who were on detail with the bureau.

In August, more than 3,000 would-be OFWs who tried to sneak out of the country with tourist visas or other questionable documents were either not allowed to board or were taken off planes at the NAIA, and Clark and Cebu airports.

The Philippine government is under pressure from the United States to improve efforts to combat human trafficking.