Traveler bound for Taiwan offloaded

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered a probe into the case of a female traveler who was offloaded after failing to present 10 birth certificates of her relatives.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the passenger, who was about to visit her cousin in Taiwan, was offloaded because of “multiple red flags.”

The BI questioned the purpose of her travel to Taiwan.

The passenger was scheduled to visit her cousin, Ammie Liau, in Taiwan, on June 29. Her trip was rebooked on July 1 after she reportedly failed to present a physical copy of their photograph together.

An immigration officer reportedly asked her to present 10 birth certificates of her family members to prove her relationship with Liau.

Liau reportedly spent P17,000 to sponsor her cousin’s travel fare.

The BI officer noted numerous inconsistencies when asked about basic details about Liau.

The BI said the passenger could be planning to work illegally in Taiwan.