South Korean fugitive gives BI the slip

A South Korean fugitive from the law in his country is being hunted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after he escaped from the agency’s custody on Saturday while confined at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

Lawyer Maria Antonette Bucasas-Mangrobang, acting BI intelligence chief, said she assigned a team to track down Kim Tae Dong on instructions of Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr.

Mangrobang also appealed to the public for information on Kim’s whereabouts.

Likewise looking for the Korean are the Philippine National Police Capitol Region Office, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and National Bureau of Investigation.

Mangrobang said an investigation was underway to find out how Kim was able to escape from his two escorts from the BI detention center in Bicutan, Taguig.

She said the jail guards had been placed under preventive suspension while the investigation was ongoing.

The 54-year-old Kim was brought to St. Luke’s on August 26 and confined after he complained of hypertension, diabetes and abdominal pain.

The Korean was arrested by the BI fugitive search unit on July 5 in Pasig City at the request of the Korean embassy.