Immigration Co Freddie Mison, one of the most honest chiefs of the corruption-infested agency, is on his way out—thanks but no thanks to President Benigno Aquino III’s wishy-washy governance.
Mison’s leadership has been cut down to size by newly-appointed Justice Secretary Benjamin Caguioa who handed his power over immigration personnel at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to a subordinate, Associate Commissioner Gilberto Repizo.
The Bureau of Immigration is under the supervision of the Department of Justice.
Under the new setup, Mison no longer has any power to reward or punish any immigration personnel not only at Naia but in other international airports as well.
This is a slap in the face for the young immigration chief since he has done nothing wrong.
This columnist, who monitors the goings-on in sensitive government agencies, has not received any report that Mison neither demanded nor received bribes from his subordinates or outsiders doing business with the immigration commission.
My immigration sources close to Mison, a graduate of West Point and a lawyer, say he’s planning to tender his resignation soon.
They said the young commissioner is worried over reports circulating within the bureau that Naia personnel have been ordered to allow the entry of undesirable aliens at P400,000 per head.
The Naia personnel, reports say, were also encouraged to take in bribes from outgoing Filipino overseas contract workers who are undocumented at P40,000 per head.
But more worrisome are reports that immigration personnel may now let in foreigners of dubious character if they cough up P400,000 each.
This might endanger national security as foreign terrorists might enter the country to sow mayhem in the country, Mison told some of his close aides.
Mison’s concern for national security is based on experience. He is a former member of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the military’s premier intelligence agency.
* * *
But why the plan to resign soon and not immediately, I asked his trusted subordinates.
Because, according to them, Mison wants to personally hand in his resignation letter to the President who appointed him.
“He will tell the President his apprehensions over national security,” the sources said.
And then after talking to the President, Mison will resign
irrevocably, I was told.
* * *
The setup at the immigration commission, where a subordinate official has powers equal to the chief, is not new in the Aquino administration.
During the time of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Undersecretary Rico Puno had exclusive control over the Philippine National Police.
The irregular but secret situation at the Department of the Interior and Local Government was exposed during the Luneta hostage crisis in the early days of the Aquino administration when Robredo was absent at the scene.
The hostage crisis erupted into bloodshed where eight hostages, all Hong Kong tourists, were killed.
It was one of the most shameful incidents in the country’s history.
As election day nears, President Aquino’s “daang matuwid” (straight path) is becoming “daang baluktot” (crooked road) every inch of the way.
Honest officials are being taken out of the way and replaced with officials of dubious character. If you are perceptive you know what I mean.
Some moves removing honest officials are so subtle they look so matter-of-fact, pro forma or ordinary; others are outright acts.