By Aaron Recuenco
MANILA – Former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) head coach Tab Baldwin’s legal counsel argued that his permanent residency status exempts him from securing an Alien Employment Permit (AEP), as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) investigates whether he was legally allowed to work in the Philippines.
During a clarificatory hearing on Monday, June 29, Baldwin’s lawyers stressed that the requirement for foreigners to obtain an AEP does not apply to him since he has held an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) since 2016.
Baldwin told the panel that when his residency papers were processed, he was advised that an AEP was no longer necessary.
DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino, who presided over the hearing, noted that a January 2025 memo now requires foreigners exempted from AEPs to secure a Certificate of Exemption.
Baldwin’s camp countered that this was not a requirement when his permanent residency was granted.
