Ombudsman Remulla urges outsourcing visa work and stripping DFA of duties

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla urged the Philippine government to outsource visa processing to a third-party firm, questioning the Department of Foreign Affairs' ability to vet foreign visitors. In a DZRH interview, he asserted that visa issuance belongs to the Department of Justice and recommended VFS Global, which handles application collection and biometric data for many countries. Remulla's remarks came after reports that the DFA is reviewing its visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, a move linked to the rise of Philippine offshore gaming operators.

He accused the DFA of forgetting its diplomatic role and turning visa services into a business that generates revenue through travel agencies. Describing visa work as clerical, he argued the Philippines lacks the capacity to manage it abroad and should transfer responsibility to a specialist provider. The ombudsman's call seeks to separate diplomatic duties from administrative visa tasks.