Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Monday, December 15 warned that some foreigners facing serious criminal charges may be exploiting the Philippine asylum system, only to continue committing crimes once in the country.
“May mga dayuhan din na dinudungisan ang sistema ng asylum para takasan ang mga krimen nila sa kanilang bansa,” Hontiveros said during a Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing.
“Malala pa, may mga indikasyon na pagkatapos nilang bigyan ng proteksyon, pinagpapatuloy nila ang krimen nila sa ating bansa,” she added.
Hontiveros cited cases involving individuals subject to Interpol red notices, noting that some asylum seekers possess multiple passports and have links to gambling-related offenses.
“They misuse international protection mechanisms that were designed to protect those fleeing persecution, not those fleeing accountability. The common thread running through these cases is the misuse of Philippine institutions,” she said, stressing that the ultimate victims are the Filipino people.