Did your friends get screwed over or did they not do what they were supposed to do? I've been dealing with immigration in the Philippines on and off for 10+ years and the only person that has ever screwed me over was myself when I didn't keep up with my visa requirements. It is up to the tourist/immigrant to keep up with changes to the requirements of their stay and then make sure they stay within the law.
If I were in charge of immigration there would be no amnesty given without a d*mn good reason (medical/physical/mental disability...note: "stupid" and/or "lazy" are not mental disabilities). There should be some leeway given after a rule changes but anyone over 6 months+ overstaying should be detained and deported if they can't pay the moment they try to renew/are caught. There is no excuse for being 6+ months late on a visa renewal/requirement. /opinion


Agree x 3
Informative x 2