DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                                           2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                                 Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-766-05                                                                                                                                                                                                                             18 October  2005

PHILEMB SINGAPORE REPORTS 4 FILIPINO WOMEN SENT TO CHANGI PRISON
FOR RETURNING TO SINGAPORE IN VIOLATION OF DEPORTATION ORDER

18 October 2005 – Ambassador Belen F. Anota of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore today reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that for the period of 24 September to 4 October 2005, four Filipino women have been convicted or remanded to the Changi Women’s Prison for unlawful return/illegal entry.

Ambassador Anota sent this report as she reiterated the Embassy’s warning to Filipino travellers who have been banned from entering Singapore due to immigration offenses not to re-enter the city-state within the immigration ban to avoid arrest and imprisonment as Singapore operates its electronic biometric detection system.  (Please refer to Press Release SFA-AGR-615-05, dated 2 September  2005, for background information.)

Ambassador Anota said that the Filipinos, previously deported for different reasons, attempted to re-enter Singapore within their respective immigration bans and were promptly caught by the biometric detection system.  The Department has withheld the names of the four Filipinas in response to their request to respect their right to privacy.

Singapore authorities usually mete immigration offenders two to three years’ ban from entering the country, but a number of them attempt to return within the ban period using false/assumed identities in their passports.

Ambassador Anota related that in the past, these immigration offenders re-entered the country with impunity and their previous conviction or deportation could only have been detected if they were arrested anew, in which case the authorities would have had to check the database for criminal records.

Repeat offenders are charged in court for Unlawful Return/Illegal Entry and sentenced to a minimum of one year imprisonment.

Ambassador Anota advised “immigration offenders who have already served out the immigration ban – such as the lapse of the prohibitive period from entering the country – to secure prior approval from the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to return to Singapore, and that previous immigration offenses should be disclosed in all documents, including disembarkation cards, as failure to do so constitutes a criminal offense of making a false statement/declaration.”  END
 

/jay