Immigration issues ‘lookout bulletin’ for investment exec in DBP loan controversy
MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration has issued an “immigration lookout bulletin” for Josephine Manalo, a business executive linked to the alleged behest loans anomaly at the Development Bank of the Philippines, but it was not intended to prevent her from leaving the country.
Grace Lara, an immigration bureau executive assistant, said the bulletin was issued on Tuesday by Associate Commissioner Siegfred Mison on orders of Justice Secretary De Lima, who had earlier turned down a Senate request to place Manalo, Delta Ventures Resources Inc. president, on the bureau’s watchlist.
De Lima cited as reason for denying the Senate’s request the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court against a Department of Justice circular prescribing the rules for the issuance of “watchlist,” “hold departure” and “allow departure” orders.
Lara said that the “lookout bulletin” was the first of its kind to be issued by the bureau and that it does not direct immigration officers at the airports and seaports to prevent persons who are the subject of such bulletins from leaving the country.
“This bulletin is for monitoring purposes only. If she is spotted at the airport, we will inform the Senate and DOJ that she is about to leave the country,” she said.
Lara said they will be “on the lookout for Manalo should she pass through the immigration counters in any of our international airports and/or seaports.”
De Lima earlier said she had no choice but to turn down the Senate’s request after the Supreme Court, acting on a motion by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband who had questioned the issuance of a ‘watchlist’ order against them, issued a temporary restraining order and barred her from issuing “watchlist” orders while the TRO is still in effect.
The justice secretary said the TRO enjoined the DOJ not only from implementing “watchlist” orders but also from implementing the circular itself.
Previously, the Bureau of Immigration, could bar persons on “watchlist” orders from leaving unless their travel was cleared by the agency that sought their inclusion on the watchlist.
