MANILA — Sen. Idol Raffy Tulfo has filed a measure seeking to mandate the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by Filipino passengers who were deferred or denied boarding due to what he described as unjustified and prolonged pre-departure procedures of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, filed Senate Bill No. 1657 after his office received multiple complaints from passengers who were offloaded by the BI, allegedly due to inconsistent assessment standards and refusal to review documents. Most complainants, he said, alleged that the BI failed to provide a clear explanation for their denial.

“Prolonged immigration interviews which are usually conducted in the context of anti-trafficking efforts have, in certain instances, resulted in Filipino passengers missing their scheduled flights despite the absence of a formal court order directing their deferment or denial of departure. Thus, affected passengers are forced to shoulder additional travel expenses even though they are not at fault,” Tulfo said.

“While the State recognizes the vital role of the Bureau of Immigration in enforcing immigration laws and implementing anti-trafficking measures, it is equally imperative to safeguard the rights of Filipino passengers and ensure that they are protected from unnecessary financial burdens arising from deferred or denied boarding,” he added.

Tulfo noted that while some airlines, such as Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, provide refunds or allow rebookings to offloaded passengers as a matter of goodwill, these accommodations are outside the Civil Aeronautics Board’s mandates and depend solely on airline policy.

Since 2024, the General Appropriations Act has included a special provision under the Department of Justice–Bureau of Immigration, Special Provision No. 1 on Immigration Fees and Collections, which provides that travel expenses incurred by Filipino passengers who were deferred or denied boarding without a court order shall be charged against the balance of the Special Trust Fund Account.

Tulfo said SB No. 1657, to be known as the “Passenger Protection and Reimbursement for Deferred Departures Act,” seeks to codify into law clear, uniform, and transparent provisions governing the reimbursement of such travel expenses, consistent with existing laws and fiscal accountability standards.

Under the proposed measure, no reimbursement shall be granted to passengers whose deferral or denial of departure was due to failure to present required travel documents, including government employees and those with an active court order. Passengers found to have fraudulent, falsified, or tampered travel documents, those identified as potential trafficked persons, and those assessed as suspected illegal recruiters or traffickers under Republic Act No. 9208 would also be excluded from reimbursement.

Tulfo added that the BI, through its International Port of Entry and Exit Management Office at the airport or seaport where the passenger’s departure was deferred, will receive and evaluate reimbursement claims and endorse them to the Department of Justice–Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for determination.