39 Illegal Hajj Pilgrims Still Detained by Philippine Authorities
26 August 2016 19:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Basriana Basrul, first secretary of the social-culture function at the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, Philippines, said that 39 out of 177 Indonesian illegal hajj pilgrims are still detained at the Philippine Immigration Office.
“They are still undergoing a verification process,” he told Tempo on Friday, August 26, 2016.
Basriana revealed that a team from Indonesia had provided assistances for Philippine authorities to verify the 39 Indonesians. However, he said that the Philippine authorities needed to double check their identities.
“Philippine authorities viewed that they must conduct another verification related to their identities."
As many as 138 Indonesians have been relocated to the Indonesian Embassy on Friday, August 26, 2016, at 12 a.m. Basriana said that Philippine authorities had satisfied with their identities and agreed to relocate them to the embassy.
He added that the Indonesian Embassy had contacted the Philippine Immigration Office and the Philippine Justice Department to repatriate the Indonesians.
“But we can’t confirm the repatriation schedule yet,” he said.
Basriana revealed that two Filipinos had been arrested by local authorities for allegedly being involved in the case.
MITRA TARIGAN
