Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima ordered the Bureau of Immigration to stop its investigation into the escape of a wanted Korean national, saying only one body should conduct the probe.
“I will be issuing a memorandum to the Bureau of Immigration to discontinue with its internal investigation so that there will be no conflict, no confusion and no overlapping,” De Lima told reporters Tuesday.
De Lima said she has formed an investigating body to find out how Park Sung Jun managed to slip out of the country last March 18.
The body is composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Aileen Marie Gutierrez, as head, Investigation Agent III Jonathan Mengullo of the National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Graft Division, and Investigation Agent V Don Hernandez of the NBI’s Cybercrime Division, she said.
Park Sung Jun, who is wanted for an investment scam in South Korea, sneaked out of the country last March 18.
Immigration spokesperson Antonette Mangrobang said the Korean had been the subject of a manhunt by immigration operatives but managed to elude arrest.
De Lima said she also wanted the Bureau of Immigration, particularly its Intelligence Division, to turn over to the Department of Justice all records and information it has gathered during its investigation.