The Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have approved the guidelines for reimbursing the expenses of offloaded passengers from the Philippines.
Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, signed by the BI and the DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, outlines the reimbursement process.
Under the Special Provisions of the General Appropriations Act for 2024, Filipino passengers whose travel were deferred or were denied boarding without a court order shall be charged from the balance of the special trust fund account, subject to the guidelines issued by the BI, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Commission on Audit (COA).
In a statement, BI Officer-in-Charge Joel Anthony Viado said the proposed guidelines had already been sent to DBM for signature but was returned to BI on August 20, with a request to add COA as a signatory.
“The BI is committed to ensuring that the guidelines are released as swiftly as possible. The joint guidelines have been drafted and approved at the BI and DOJ level, and we are now awaiting final signatures from the DBM and COA,” according to Viado.
The BI is set to meet with representatives from the DBM and COA to finalize the necessary signatures.IMT
