Immigration chief orders enforcement of courts’ hold departure orders

By: Jocelyn R. Uy - 11 years ago

Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison ordered Tuesday the enforcement of hold departure orders issued by three divisions of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla and 50 or so other people charged with plunder and graft in connection with the pork barrel scam.

In a statement, Mison said he has already directed immigration personnel at the country’s international airports and seaports to immediately “put under their care” these persons named in the HDOs should they attempt to leave the country.

An HDO prevents an individual from leaving the country. Under the law, the government is empowered to prevent the departure of a person while his or her case is being tried by a court.

Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and their co-accused, including Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the diversion of billions of pesos from the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund, have been charged with plunder and multiple counts of graft for the misuse of the senators’ pork barrel allocations.

Mison said aside from Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and Napoles, the HDO covered, among others, the following persons: Estrada’s staff Pauline Labayen, former DBM undersecretary Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule, Marilou Bare, Allan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Maria Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Victor Roman Cacal, Maria Ninez Guanizo, Romulo Relevo, John Raymund De Asis, Richard Cambe, Ronald John Lim, Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Francisco Figura, Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover, Myla Ogerio, Eulogio Rodriguez, Laarni Uy, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, Evelyn De Leon, Encarnita Christina Munsod, Gondelina Amata, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Ofelia Ordonez, Sofia Cruz, Chita Jalandoni, Gregoria Buenaventura, Jocelyn Piorato and Evelyn Sucgang.