The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has strongly defended its statutory authority to issue Philippine visas and manage passport services, firmly rejecting assertions made by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.
During a DZRH radio program on November 7, Remulla questioned the DFA’s jurisdiction, claiming that visa matters belong exclusively to immigration authorities under the Department of Justice (DOJ) and that the DFA merely exercises delegated powers.
In a statement released Sunday, the DFA counteracted the Ombudsman’s remarks, stating they “undermine the institutional integrity of the Department and unfairly malign the reputation of the Philippine Foreign Service.”
The department clarified that its visa-issuance power is independently anchored in Section 21(3), Chapter 7, Title I, Book IV of the Administrative Code of 1987, as well as international frameworks like the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
“The DFA’s visa-issuance authority is founded on law. It is neither derived from nor dependent upon delegation by the DOJ,” the agency stated.
Additionally, the DFA rejected Remulla’s recommendation to outsource visa processing to a third-party service provider, emphasizing that evaluating, approving, or denying visas is a sovereign governmental function that cannot be legally transferred to private entities.# (ZIA LUNA)
