A SENATOR called on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to impose strict penalties on personnel involved in the escape of South Korean fugitives.
“Commissioner (Joel Anthony M.) Viado should ensure that BI officials involved in this shameful incident be imposed the strictest penalties, including criminal liability under Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code,” Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel said in a statement on Monday.
She added that CCTV footage showed that BI officials were involved in the escape of the fugitive from custody.
“CCTV confirmed: the Korean fugitive didn’t just escape from the Bureau of Immigration, he was deliberately let go,” she said in Filipino.
On Sunday, BI authorities rearrested two Korean fugitives wanted for estafa and fraud in South Korea after their escape on March 4.
Mr. Viado, in a media briefing on Sunday, said that the personnel involved in assisting the escape of the two South Koreans have been terminated.
“This is symptomatic of the failures and offenses of the BI in handling erring foreign nationals. It seems that the culture of corruption in the agency will not go away,” Ms. Hontiveros added.
The senator added that she will seek a subpoena on the CCTV footage and pursue the case in the next subcommittee hearing. – Adrian H. Halili
