Philippines DFA rejects Ombudsman's call to outsource visa authority

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has issued a strong rejection of claims made by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding the department's authority to issue visas. Remulla had suggested that visa processing authority should belong to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) under the Department of Justice, rather than the DFA.

Remulla accused the DFA of turning visa processing into a profit-driven business and proposed outsourcing the process to an international third-party service provider to ensure stricter vetting. He cited concerns regarding Chinese nationals allegedly exploiting visa-free entry programs to stay illegally and participate in illicit operations, such as scam hubs.

The DFA countered that its mandate to issue visas is a sovereign governmental function established by the Administrative Code of 1987 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The department emphasized that while private firms may provide administrative assistance, the authority to assess, approve, or deny visa applications cannot be transferred to a private entity.