THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said that the formal launch of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) would enhance border control and security.
The launch of APIS came as controversy rocked the BI over how several high-profile individuals such as former Malacanang spokesman Harry Roque and dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo managed to flee the country.
Guo, who is facing various criminal charges in connection with the operation of an offshore gaming hub in Bamban, was arrested and extradited by Indonesian authorities last year, while Roque was last seen in the Netherlands trying to serve as a member of the legal team of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Roque is facing a case of qualified human trafficking before the Department of Justice and a contempt citation from the House of Representatives.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said both may have fled the country using the southern backdoor.
Viado said the APIS would enable immigration authorities to conduct advance screening of passengers before their arrival, enabling enhanced risk assessment and streamlined immigration procedures.
“Through APIS, we would know if we would allow a passenger entry into the Philippines from a certain departure point.”
Viado said the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism sponsored the UN API goTravel software that will be used for the project.
“This is the importance of this GoTravel solution with the assistance of the UN, Australia and other agencies, as it can boost our intelligence gathering. And, of course, in our overall border control and security.”
He said the BI presently has to rely on information provided by their foreign counterparts to know if a passenger has criminal records or is a member of a terrorist group to deter his or her entry.
Viado said this information gap sometimes results in a fugitive from another country being able to enter the Philippines.
APIS, Viado said, would provide “real-time information gathering and receiving.”
“Even while they are on the way to the Philippines, when they check in to board the airplane, we will know whether a passenger should be allowed entry or not,” he added.
BI APIS operations center chief and deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac also emphasized the system’s impact on border security.
“This system allows us advance screening of passengers thus improving risk assessment and expediting the processing of legitimate travelers,” he said.
As part of its phased implementation, the BI has begun pilot testing with major airlines, with Cebu Pacific becoming the first carrier to fully integrate its system with APIS.
Philippine Airlines and other air carriers are set to follow as part of the ongoing trials.
Viado said they have also successfully conducted connectivity tests with Interpol’s I-24/7 database, ensuring access to global security watchlists for enhanced monitoring.
“The agency continues to work closely with Interpol, airline representatives, and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism to ensure seamless integration and operational efficiency,” he said.
Christine Bradley, Chief of Section Countering Terrorist Travel at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, also lauded the launch of APIS, saying it will equip the BI with the tools as well as the legal frameworks, the operational capabilities to protect the country’s borders and to prevent and counter-terrorism and serious organized crime.
“I think the most important thing is that it allows countries to have the tools to channel their limited resources to detect those who pose a threat while then allowing the vast majority of people who are legitimate travelers to move freely through borders, thus streamlining the process,” Bradley told reporters.
“It does so by running passenger data in advance of travel against national as well as international watch lists and databases. So, in the example of Interpol databases, it allows us to detect in advance any red notices or and plan how to address it, whether it be to apprehend the person, to place them under surveillance or just to monitor the borders,” she added.
She said there are strict privacy considerations for personal and passenger data, as well as ensuring that there are controls on who has access to the data.
Bradley said the Philippines is the 7th country to use the UN-owned GoTravel software solution.
“This is a solution that was developed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was donated to the UN so that it can be made available for all member states to ensure that they have the capability to collect and analyze passenger data,” she added.
Aside from the Philippines, the system is also being used in Norway, Luxembourg, Georgia, Moldova, Botswana, and the Netherlands.
Bradley said they are also working with 65-other UN member-states on the use of the program.
The United States, Canada and Australia have also been using similar systems for several years now.
“Across the board, it would be effective for anyone who is on a national watch list, whether that be a criminal database or a national terrorist watch list, but also those who are listed within Interpol systems and databases. So, that could include anybody who’s on a red notice or any other notices of Interpol,” the UN official said.
