Philippines DFA visa authority dispute

A dispute has emerged between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding the authority to issue visas. Remulla suggested that visa processing should be transferred to the Bureau of Immigration under the Department of Justice or outsourced to private providers to ensure stricter vetting. He accused the DFA of turning visa processing into a “profit-driven business” and raised concerns that Chinese nationals were allegedly exploiting visa-free programs to participate in illicit operations, such as scam hubs.

The DFA has formally rejected these claims, stating that the remarks “unfairly malign the reputation of the Philippine Foreign Service.” The department maintains that its mandate is a sovereign governmental function based on the Administrative Code of 1987 and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. While the DFA acknowledged that third-party providers may assist with administrative intake, it emphasized that the final authority to approve or deny visas remains a substantive consular function that cannot be transferred to private entities.