BI kicks out 80 foreigners for illegal vending

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered yesterday the deportation of 80 foreign nationals, who were earlier arrested at shopping malls in Metro Manila for illegally engaging in the retail trade business.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said 60 of the aliens were Chinese nationals who had been the subject of summary deportation orders, while the 20 others were ordered to voluntarily leave the country.

All of them were rounded up by the bureau intelligence operatives in a series of operations last month at the Baclaran Terminal Plaza in Pasay and the 168 shopping center in Divisoria, Manila.

Fernandez explained that the 60 Chinese nationals, who illegally sold retail goods at the mall, were each ordered to pay fines of P50,000 as they were all found to be overstaying tourists.

They were also blacklisted and banned from re-entering the Philippines.

The 20 other foreigners were not subjected to deportation proceedings because they had valid tourist visas when arrested.

Each one, however, was fined P50,000 for engaging in business without necessary permits from the bureau.

"We warned those foreigners who were not deported to avoid being involved in another illegal activity because repetition of their offense would merit stiffer penalties in the future," Fernandez said.

The BI reportedly rounded up foreigners during operations at the two shopping centers last Dec. 13 and Dec.15.

The operations were conducted following complaints from local traders that foreigners were openly selling goods in violation of the law.

Filipino retailers claimed their businesses suffered because of the unfair competition posed by the foreign vendors, who were selling wares at cheaper prices.

BI Task Force on Deportation head Arvin Santos also revealed that the remaining foreign vendors who have valid resident visas may still undergo deportation proceedings.

Santos stressed that being a holder of a visa does not give an alien the license to engage in the retail trade.