BI blacklists Singaporean

In a landmark case, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has placed on its blacklist a Singaporean national who allegedly maltreated two Filipinos working at his beauty salon in Cambodia and later insulted Philippine embassy officials.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said he ordered the banning of 55-year-old Vincent Toh from entering the country for being an undesirable alien upon the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DFA said Toh illegally held the passports of his Filipino employees and allegedly disrespected Filipino consuls at the Philippine embassy in Phnom Penh after he was asked to return the said travel documents.

Fernandez said the blacklisting of the Singaporean should serve as a lesson to foreign employers.

"They cannot keep passports just because of certain financial obligations. Under the Passport Act, it is illegal for a Philippine passport, which is a property of the government, to be possessed by anyone other than its owner," the BI chief explained.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by two Filipinos against their employer, who was later invited by the embassy.

Toh told embassy officials he could not return the passports because the two still owed him a total of Singaporean $600.

When told that he cannot hold on to the passports and should instead bring the case to court, the Singaporean lost his temper, raised his voice and banged a chair.

He also told the consuls that if he does return the passports, the embassy should assume responsibility and pay the workers’ debts.

Dinno Oblena, Philippine charge d’ affaires to Phnom Penh, reported the incident to the DFA and recommended the blacklisting of Toh.