Senator Raffy Tulfo has filed Senate Bill (SB) 1657, or the Passenger Protection and Reimbursement for Deferred Departures Act, to establish rules for compensating travelers who miss flights due to unfair pre-departure procedures.
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said the measure responds to recurring complaints from passengers who were offloaded by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers.
Many reported inconsistent assessment criteria, lack of clear explanations for their deferment, and no opportunity to have their documents re-evaluated.
Under the proposed law, passengers who miss flights because of extended immigration interviews—without a formal court order—may be reimbursed for travel-related expenses.
These include unused airline tickets, rebooking fees, and reasonable accommodation costs, subject to implementing rules.
Tulfo stressed the importance of balancing the BI’s role in enforcing immigration laws and combating human trafficking with protecting passenger rights.
“While the State recognizes the BI’s critical role… passenger rights must also be protected, particularly from undue financial losses arising from delayed or denied boarding through no fault of their own,” he said.
The senator noted that some airlines, like Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, already offer refunds or rebooking as goodwill gestures, but these are not guaranteed by the Civil Aeronautics Board.
SB 1657 seeks to provide a permanent statutory basis for reimbursements and align the process with fiscal accountability standards.
The bill also sets clear exclusions. No reimbursement will be granted to passengers who fail to present valid travel documents, government employees traveling without proper authority, individuals covered by court orders, or those using forged or altered documents.
Passengers identified as potential human trafficking victims or suspected traffickers under Republic Act 9208 are likewise excluded.
Reimbursement claims will first be reviewed by the BI at the airport or seaport of deferment and then endorsed to the Department of Justice–Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for final adjudication.