SEN. Raffy Tulfo has filed Senate Bill (SB) 1657, or the Passenger Protection and Reimbursement for Deferred Departures Act, which aims to institutionalize rules for compensating passengers who miss their flights due to unfair pre-departure procedures.
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said he was compelled to file the measure amid recurring complaints from travelers who were unfairly offloaded by Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers. Many claimed that assessment criteria were inconsistently applied and that they were not given clear explanations for their deferment, nor an opportunity for their documents to be re-evaluated.
Under the measure, Tulfo said passengers who miss their scheduled flights because of extended immigration interviews, without a formal court order directing their deferment or denial of departure, may be reimbursed for travel-related expenses. These may include the cost of unused airline tickets, and reasonable rebooking or accommodation expenses, subject to implementing rules.
Tulfo underscored that while the State recognizes the BI’s critical role in enforcing immigration laws and combating human trafficking, passenger rights must also be protected, particularly from undue financial losses arising from delayed or denied boarding through no fault of their own.
The senator said that some airlines, such as Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, offer refunds or rebooking options for passengers who have been offloaded as an act of goodwill. However, these arrangements are not required by the Civil Aeronautics Board and rely solely on the policies of each airline. As a result, many passengers do not have guaranteed support in these situations.
Beginning in 2024, the General Appropriations Act already contains a special provision under the Department of Justice–Bureau of Immigration allowing the travel expenses of Filipino passengers who are offloaded without a court order to be charged against the BI’s Special Trust Fund Account. SB 1657 aims to establish a permanent statutory basis for this policy and align it with standards of fiscal accountability.
The proposed law also sets clear limitations. No reimbursement will be granted to passengers who fail to present complete and valid travel documents, including government employees without proper authority to travel, or those covered by an existing court order. Likewise excluded are passengers found to be using forged, counterfeit, or altered documents; those identified as potential victims of human trafficking; and individuals assessed as suspected illegal recruiters or traffickers under Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
Under the bill, claims for reimbursement will be received and initially reviewed by the BI through the International Port of Entry and Exit Management Office at the airport or seaport where the passenger’s departure was deferred. These claims will then be endorsed to the Department of Justice–Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for final adjudication.