At least 350 confidential agents (CA) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), including all detailed personnel from other government agencies, were terminated from the service, it was learned on Monday.

BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said he revoked the services of the CA because the bureau sees these as redundancy and as form of ‘political accommodation’ to certain politicians and personalities.

Aside from the CA, the bureau also terminated the detailed services of prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DoJ), members of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Ledesma disclosed that about 1,200 confidential agents were appointed by previous administrations.

The BI chief added that the ideal number of CAs should have been 200 and they are still in the process of streamlining the number.

Sources from the bureau disclosed that about 400 CAs will soon be terminated next week as the bureau continues to purge its ranks of ‘redundancy employees.’