BI chief accused of favoring alien

A female performer has filed a complaint in the Department of Justice (DOJ) over what she claims was the grave abuse of discretion committed by Immigration Chief Ricardo David because he allowed the issuance of a multiple entry and exit permit to a Japanese who had been earlier ordered deported by the immigration bureau for throwing a bottle at her in 2009.

In a letter to the DOJ dated June 26, Rowelyn Vitto said she obtained a copy of David’s Dec. 11, 2011, order favoring Masaaki Ema only last June 25.

According to her, there is a standing deportation order against the Japanese which was issued by the Bureau of Immigration’s board of commissioners on March 10, 2011.

She contended that the multiple entry and exit permit issued by David to Ema was tantamount to an act of “grave abuse’’ because it reversed the deportation order against the Japanese.

She also claimed that David and the board of commissioners denied for lack of merit on April 27 last year an omnibus motion filed by Ema as they upheld the deportation order issued against him.

“The lawful orders of the bureau must be obeyed by its officials,’’ she said.

In 2010, Vitto filed a case against the Japanese in the immigration bureau after he mistreated her while she was performing on stage at the Bijinza de Makati show club in Makati City on Aug. 9, 2009.

According to her, Ema threw towels and food at her followed by a bottle which left her injured. As  result, she had to seek medical attention and was unable to work for almost a month.

The immigration bureau initially dismissed the petition she had filed against the Japanese on the belief that the physical injuries case she slapped against him was still pending in the prosecutor’s office. It later reopened her case after she showed that the case had been elevated to a metropolitan trial court in Makati City.

In his Dec. 11, 2011, order, David allowed the issuance of a multiple exit permit for Ema “in the interest of justice and fair play” because the latter had to attend to his ailing mother in Japan. He also explained that the issuance of a multiple entry permit was to let Ema attend to the cases he was facing in Manila.

However, he stressed that Ema’s name would remain in the immigration blacklist “until sooner lifted by the bureau.’’