Citing kids’ enrollment, BI workers air appeal to Duterte

Employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) urged President Duterte to let the agency use its express lane fees to cover their overtime pay, saying they need extra cash for their children as classes open next month.

“That’s our problem right now. It’s almost time for enrollment and we are really hard-pressed,” said Greg Sadiasa, president of the BI’s Buklod Employees Union.

The President earlier vetoed the use of the BI’s express lane fees, which had funded the overtime pay of immigration officers for the past 30 years.

This recently resulted in long queues at airport immigration counters as many employees either resigned or went on leave over the nonpayment of their overtime work.

Around 40 BI employees have resigned since January.

“If we could ask the President to allow the use of the express lane fees collected from January to April. If it could be released, it would really help us in enrolling our children,” Sadiasa said.

He explained that at least P100 million a month has been deposited in a trust account over the past four months, or around P 400 million, which could be tapped to pay for overtime work.

The bureau stopped collecting express lane fees this month.

Meanwhile, BI employees are also waiting for their salaries to be upgraded based on the pending amendments to the country’s immigration law.

“We really need that promise of a salary upgrade . We are waiting for it; they said it will be fast-tracked,” Sadiasa said.