MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Tuesday, August 30, said it has suspended the issuance of hajj passports for Muslim pilgrims after 177 Indonesians had been detained for carrying fake Philippine passports.

Referring to the hajj passports, Yasay said in a congressional budget hearing, “This has really been the source of these fraudulent transactions and corruption.”

Yasay added he is seeking the suspension of the hajj passport “on a permanent basis.” 

The hajj passport is a special travel document issued to pilgrims to Mecca. For these hajj passports, Yasay said the Philippines has “reduced to the barest minimum the requirements for identification, the requirements for proof of Philippine citizenship.”

Unfortunately, Yasay said, “The use of these kinds of passports has been abused.”  (READ: How 177 Indonesias obtained fake Philippine passports)

The suspension comes after 177 prospective pilgrims from Indonesia were detained by immigration police in the Philippines for carrying illegal Philippine passports.

Philippine authorities arrested the Indonesians at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on August 18, as they attempted to leave for Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj, a mandatory Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims. 

The pilgrims attempted to check in to their Philippine Arilines flight, but their inability to speak any Filipino or Filipino dialect raised eyebrows of immigration officials who held their tickets and passports. – Rappler.com