MANILA -- Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente thanked the House of Representatives for including the proposed Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act as one of the top priorities for its 3rd and final regular session.

In a statement, Morente thanked members of the Congress, particularly House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, for naming the proposed immigration law as one of the 5 important measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Apart from the BI law, among those reportedly named are Creating the Philippine Virology Institute Act, The Center for Disease Control Act, Amendments to the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016, and the National Housing Development act.

“The new law is very timely as it will modernize border control,” said Morente. “The prevailing law is a very old law, which was created in the 1940s. Many of the provisions do not apply in current times. The new law will reorganize the structure of the BI, specify responsibilities, define visa categories, put in safeguards for checks and balances, and improve the salaries of our men,” he added.

The new law, which Morente sees as the solution for current BI woes, also seeks to confer to the Commissioner disciplinary authority over its personnel. “Quick and swift disciplinary action is needed to deter wrongdoings amongst our ranks,” said Morente. (BI)