Former Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Siegfred Mison may still have to answer allegations against him even if he has already left government service.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has vowed to “revisit” grave misconduct charges earlier recommended filed against Mison by the National Bureau of Investigation for the escape of a Korean fugitive from detention in October.
This developed as reforms continued to be implemented at the agency under its recently assigned head Ronaldo Geron, including a nationwide reshuffle for the bureau’s frontliners in ports across the country to clip familiarity in their areas of assignment, and the possibility of accommodation and other irregularities.
“Now that [operations at the BI] are normalizing—I think the employees are now used to the commissioner, the commissioner is now also used to his job and has gotten to know his employees better—then we can revisit that,” said acting Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas in a press conference.
A possibility
Asked if Mison may still be held liable, Caparas said, “That’s a possibility, but again that will really depend on the evidence that we have.”
In a report to the DOJ, the NBI had recommended that the controversial former government official be held liable for grave misconduct for allowing Cho Seong-dae’s “illegal” transfer to a poorly secured facility at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces Compound at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, which led to his escape on Oct. 21.
It was the second escape for Cho, a Korean national wanted for human trafficking and extortion, who had fled the BI’s Warden Facility in Bicutan, Taguig City, on Sept. 29 through an alleged P1-million payoff to immigration officers.
Before the charges could prosper, Mison was removed from his post. He has been tagged in “highly illegal, irregular and anomalous activities,” at the BI, according to highly placed sources.
Other allegations against Mison include the questionable release of undocumented Chinese national Fu Gaofeng in March 2015, the unauthorized withdrawal of P1.575 million in overtime pay from the BI’s Express Lane Trust Fund, the facilitation of the entry of blacklisted foreigners for a fee, and the questionable lifting of hold departure and exclusion orders against foreigners facing criminal charges.
Caparas said the administrative charges may have been mooted by Mison’s departure from the government but he would meet with the NBI agents who handled the case and see how to go from there.
“That will depend on the… recommendations of the NBI agents who investigated the case. So I will not preempt it, I still have to talk to them. They might be pressured and I don’t want to do that,” the official said.
Meanwhile, he said reforms continue at the BI even as processes at the bureau have sped up, among them visa applications.
Regular revamp
Caparas said the BI would undertake a nationwide reshuffle of its ground personnel soon as part of a “regular” revamp of port frontliners.
“There are proposals on movements within the bureau and the proposals have been there for more than a month already,” he said.
“They are not big movements, but the bureau normally would shuffle people so there’s not much familiarity with the area, it’s just really to avoid untoward incidents,” Caparas said.
The movements will be seen nationwide, but Caparas said there would be a “focus on operations in Metro Manila,” where the country’s busiest airport is located.
“Again it’s just to remove familiarity and to be able to improve efficiency,” he said.
Caparas said the people may voice their displeasure with the BI or its personnel in the DOJ or in the office of the Immigration Commissioner.
‘Cleaning’ the bureau
“If you have any suggestions, any complaints, feel free to come to the commissioner, or the department and see me personally. Put it in writing please, if you’ve observed any anomalies, have knowledge of any wrongdoing taking place in the bureau or participated in by bureau or its personnel,” Caparas said.
He said the BI, an agency whose image is tainted by allegations of corruption and other anomalies, is working at cleansing its ranks.
“I understand Commissioner Geron is working very closely with the Ombudsman. We’re not casting suspicion on anyone. It’s just steps we’re taking so the public’s confidence will improve,” the official said.