Bureau of Immigration INQUIRER PHOTO/ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating immigration personnel who were possibly involved in dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s escape, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Wednesday.
In a press briefing, Remula said they have “suspicion” that some immigration personnel might know of Guo’s escape.
READ: Alice Guo will face due process for alleged crimes – Remulla
“Pati government people na puwedeng involved kasi may suspicion tayo na may immigration people na involved,” he said.
(Even government people might be involved because we have a suspicion that some immigration people are involved.)
Remulla also mentioned the “pastillas scheme” exposed in 2020. Authorities discovered that some immigration officers were accepting bribes from foreigners to allow them to enter the Philippines without undergoing a proper immigration process.
“Ang isang masasabi mo diyan, nagpupuslit papasok noong araw ‘yung pastillas…pastillas gang at nagpupuslit din sila palabas kaya alam natin mayroon talagang gumagawa niyan sa immigration. ‘Yun ang ating tinitignan ngayon,”he said.
(One thing you can say about that is that the pastillas gang used to smuggle people, so we know that there are those doing this in the Bureau of Immigration. That’s what we’re looking into now.)
Remulla, Tansingco no longer speaking
Asked if he had already spoken with Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco about the suspicion, Remulla said “Not yet.”
The DOJ chief also said he does not want to bring up the issue with Tansingco.
“Kaya ganun ang sagot ko kasi noong nangyari ito hindi naman niya ako sinabihan agad eh. Marahil alam niya na matagal ‘yan bago ko nalaman kaya hindi na kami nag-uusap dahil dun. Hindi tama ‘yung ganung klaseng asal na hindi mo ipapaalam sa DOJ secretary ‘yung nangyayari sa opisina mo,” Remulla said.
(That’s why I responded that way because when this happened, he didn’t inform me right away. It probably took a long time before I found out, which is why we are no longer speaking because of that. It’s not right to act in such a way that you don’t inform the DOJ Secretary about what’s happening in your office.)
READ: Alice Guo arrested in Indonesia – DOJ, NBI
Guo is under investigation for her alleged ties to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub in Bamban.
She left the Philippines last July, according to the Bureau of Immigration.
Indonesian authorities arrested her in Tangerang City, Jakarta, around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 4.
Guo is currently in the custody of the Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri.