The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said it is purging its records of obsolete watchlist orders issued more than five years ago in order to update its computer database and derogatory files.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan on Wednesday directed the automatic lifting or cancellation of watchlist orders that have been issued for more than five years.

The five-year rule, he said, however applies only to watchlist orders that the bureau issued upon orders of the regular courts or upon request of other government agencies or private offended parties.

“Watchlist orders issued by the BI against foreigners in the exercise of its inherent power as chief enforcer of the country’s immigration laws shall continue to remain in the bureau’s derogatory records unless ordered removed by the BI commissioner or duly-authorized associate commissioner,” Libanan said in his order.

Libanan stressed the lifting of watchlist orders against persons who have also been issued hold departure orders (HDOs) will not affect the HDOs as the watchlist orders will remain in the bureau’s derogatory records.

Only the BI commissioner or duly-authorized associate commissioner may order the deletion of any HDO issued against any person, the memorandum order said.

Lawyer Arvin Santos, chairman of the special committee on BI derogatory system, was instructed by Libanan to “oversee the immediate actual implementation of the lifting, purging and deletion of the concerned watchlist orders.”

Santos said the purge is necessary so as not to further inconvenience Filipino and foreign travelers who are prevented from leaving the country because of watchlist orders that have become obsolete as these were issued a long time ago.

He added that in most cases, no civil or criminal complaints were filed in court against persons who are subjects of unnecessary watchlist orders.

Santos explained that watchlist orders are usually issued only for purposes of monitoring a person’s travel in and out of the country and not to violate his constitutional right to travel.

He also pointed out that the DoJ last year issued a directive which provides that watchlist orders shall remain valid for only 60 days, unless extended, in order to safeguard the individual’s right to travel.