In an effort to purge the agency of inept and corrupt personnel, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently dismissed 39 employees from the service and suspended 29 others, majority were assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a statement issued Sunday, BI Officer-in-Charge Ronaldo Ledesma said he signed the orders terminating the services of the erring employees after he was designated caretaker of the bureau by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

“These dismissal orders are already long overdue. I have to implement them, lest we be accused of being tolerant of any wrongdoing in our bureau,” Ledesma said after signing the termination papers of the dismissed officials and employees last week.

Ledesma added that many of the employees were charged with extortion, grave misconduct, gross insubordination, neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.