Manila, May 13 -- Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Monday called on Malacanang to repeal former president Joseph Estrada's Executive Order 285 which empowers the Bureau of Immigration to convert tourist visas into student visas.

Under EO 285, an inter-agency committee on foreign students was created, chaired by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and Department of Education (DepEd) as members.

"In today's setting, this particular power by the BI can be abused. This arbitrary power to convert visas is the worst legalized scheme that can be used by unscrupulous personnel for...