CA upholds Ombud ruling firing BI officer

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the dismissal from service of an officer of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who tried to extort P500,000 from a Korean national in 2007.

In its ruling, the appellate court’s 19th division said Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol did not commit abuse of discretion, which would warrant reversal of the anti-graft office’s ruling.

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas earlier found BI officer Dilausan Montor guilty of grave misconduct.

Last Oct. 22, 2007, Montor along with three other BI officers were arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) for allegedly extorting P500,000 from Korean national Lee Dong Bum.

Lee said the transaction had something to do with the issuance of Special Work Permit and Special Study Permit of Korean nationals.

Lee filed charges against them before the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman.

The anti-graft office dismissed the charges against Montor’s companions Mabert Impas Sr., Daniel M. Gumba and Maria Donna Bella B. Deriada . /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol