When is Christmas greeting not good?

What’s in a Christmas greeting?

If you’re in places that are allegedly havens for extortionists, a lot.

Thus, Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez is reminding all immigration personnel assigned at the country’s four international airports against greeting arriving passengers "Merry Christmas."

Rodriguez said he issued the reminder lest any immigration employee forget a standing policy which was enforced to avoid giving passengers the impression that the greeter is expecting a gift.

"While our employees may be sincere in greeting arriving passengers a Merry Christmas, they cannot avoid the wrong impression that they are asking for something in return, especially if the recipients of the greetings are queuing for admission," Rodriguez said.

Some arriving passengers may take the greeting from immigration employees, especially officers, as a subtle form of extortion.

"So I have instructed all our immigration employees and officials both at the airports and here in the home office just to do their job and refrain from saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to the public transacting business with the bureau," Rodriguez added.

The immigration chief stressed that any employee caught greeting arriving passengers a "Merry Christmas" will be subjected to summary reassignment for insubordination.

"If he is caught taking a gift from any arriving passenger, he will be administratively charged and dismissed from the service," Rodriguez stressed.

Many foreigners, according him, fall prey to this subtle technique of extortion practised in the past by some unscrupulous immigration employees .

He said usual victims are restricted nationals who want to "please" immigration officers by giving cash in response to a veiled Christmas greeting.

While bad memories of past extortion attempts still linger, sincere immigration employees who merely want to greet arriving passengers will simply have to hold their tongue.