MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) objected to the call of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to strip the agency of its visa-issuance functions, alleging that it has been turned into a business.
The DFA on Monday said Remulla’s remarks undermined the "institutional integrity of the Department and unfairly malign the reputation of the Philippine Foreign Service and its personnel."
"The DFA does not tolerate corruption and remains committed to accountability, transparency, and utmost professionalism in the delivery of public service," it said in a statement.
The agency pointed out that its "visa-issuing mandate is grounded on both domestic law and international convention."
It said that Section 21(3), Chapter 7 (The Foreign Service), Title I, Book IV of Executive Order 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987, "expressly recognizes visa issuance as a statutory consular function."
Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, Article 5(d) provides for the issuance of visas or appropriate travel documents as a consular function, while Articles 3 and 70 recognize the exercise of consular functions by diplomatic missions.
"Contrary to the characterization of visa processing as a merely clerical function, the issuance of visas involves the substantive assessment of applications and verification of documents," the DFA said.
"These responsibilities require the exercise of official judgment pursuant to the applicable Philippine laws, rules and regulations, and cannot be reduced to just the administrative receipt and processing of documents," it added.
The DFA said it recognizes that administrative support services may be provided by third parties such as VFS, primarily in the receipt of applications.
"Such outsourcing of administrative services does not mean the transfer of sovereign authority to approve or deny visas," the department said.
This authority remains a governmental responsibility, as exercised by the Philippine embassies and consulates, it added.
The visa fees collected are pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, including the prescribed Schedule of Fees.
The DFA said it "will continue to faithfully discharge its statutory responsibilities and uphold the integrity of Philippine visa issuance in the best interest of the country and the Filipino people."
