Former Pagcor chief Genuino et al barred from leaving Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman Ephraim Genuino and several others have been barred from leaving the country.

Aside from Genuino, also placed on the hold order departure (HDO) list were his children Erwin, who ran for the mayoralty race in Makati and Sheryl Genuino-See, the representative of Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA) partylist; Raphael Butch Francisco, Edward King, Rene C. Figeroa, lawyer Carlos Bautista, Jr,; Emil Boyet Marcelo, Rodolfo Soriano, jr. and Johnny G. Tan.

Immigration Spokesperson Maria Antonette Mangrobang said the Bureau of Immigration was acting on an order by the Department of Justice (DoJ) through Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras dated July
22.

“They cannot leave the country until and unless the DoJ lifted the HDO,” Mangrobang told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview late Friday.

Genuino is facing a string of plunder cases before the DoJ:

* the the alleged illegal disbursement of about P26.7-million in funds for the production of the 2008 movie “Baler”;

* the allegedly anomalous release of funding assistance worth P34 million to the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association, Inc. (PASA) in 2007;

* alleged misappropriation of at least P186-million in questionable transactions that benefited BIDA Foundation and other organizations from 2003 to 2010;

* and the alleged use of rice donations for typhoon victims in electioneering activities.