U.S. donates biometric equipment to Philippines Bureau of Immigration

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration has received donated biometric equipment from the U.S. government to help improve the agency’s ability to identify foreign fugitives and illegal aliens in the country.

Reported in The Business Mirror, the donated equipment was given to Immigration Bureau Commissioner Ricardo David from U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas. The equipment will reportedly be used by the Bureau of Immigration intelligence division and the airport operations division based at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila.

Bureau commissioner Ricardo David has been in the news lately, as there have been reports of a graft complaint filed against David in relation to a US $1.25 million contract for a biometric system to process the details of international travelers coming and going from the country.

No stranger to biometrics, the Philippine Congress recently passed a bill requiring all voters in the country to undergo biometric registration for elections in 2016.

Reported previously, the Commission on Elections in the Philippines has announced that the number of registered voters for the country’s May elections this year has reached more than 52 million. According to reports, this is the highest amount ever recorded to participate in the country’s elections.

According to an acting Immigration Bureau chief in the Philippines, quoted in the Business Mirror, this new donated system will be used to scan the fingerprints of all arrested aliens and this data will be retained along with photographs.

 

Article Topics

border control  |  fingerprint  |  government  |  immigration