Immigration agent sacked for harassment of British retiree

Immigration Commissioner Ronaldo Geron has sacked a confidential agent for carrying out an unauthorized investigation of a British retiree.

“Your contract as confidential agent is terminated effective immediately due to gross violation of office rules and (for) undertaking an unauthorized operation resulting (in) loss of trust and confidence,” Geron said in a letter to Emmanuel Ambrona, who had served as a confidential agent for several years.

Geron said his decision followed a letter from one Trevor Fawcett, a British national living in the Philippines on a special resident retiree’s visa.

Fawcett said that Ambrona, claiming he had instructions from Geron, visited him last month at his house in Silang, Cavite, apparently to investigate the legality of his stay in the country.

Fawcett said he cooperated with Ambrona, showed him his passport with an indefinite Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) visa and an ID valid until August 2018.

Fawcett said he became suspicious when Ambrona began asking questions about his finances, particularly the amount he had sold his British company for.

Photos taken

Ambrona also took photos of his Filipino girlfriend “that I thought was unnecessary,” said Fawcett.

He added he felt as though he had been harassed and suspected Ambrona was not really an immigration official. This prompted him to write Geron to ask if Ambrona was on a legitimate investigation.

Geron told reporters on Thursday that while the Bureau of Immigration (BI) held background checks on foreign residents, this should have been done discreetly.

“When we checked, there was a letter order… requested by (intelligence) people regarding a case buildup for Trevor William Fawcett. This should have been a basic check on foreign residents… for inventory purposes, especially those who have not been seen or have not reported for sometime, as a way of helping the PRA,” he said.

“But this should have been done discreetly.  This can be done by checking through the barangay,” Geron added.

Geron stressed that a “fishing expedition” into a foreign resident’s immigration status was not allowed.

“And he should have been accompanied by a permanent BI employee. But he went there alone. Mr. Fawcett said he felt so vulnerable, he felt so harassed. And why take a photo of his girlfriend?” Geron said.

Asked if charges would be filed against Ambrona, Geron said it would be up to Fawcett.