Hontiveros: Punish BI personnel behind Korean fugitive’s escape

Sen. Risa Hontiveros. —Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros has vowed to conduct a deeper inquiry into the alleged involvement of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the escape of a high-profile South Korean fugitive, saying that those behind it should be held liable.

Hontiveros, chair of the Senate justice and human rights subcommittee, said that footage taken by a closed-circuit TV (CCTV) camera confirmed that Na Ikhyeon escaped with the help of some BI personnel.

“The CCTV has confirmed it: the Korean fugitive did not just escape from the Bureau of Immigration; he was deliberately allowed to escape,” she said in a statement.

READ: South Korean fugitive rearrested in Pampanga after 5-day chase

The footage supposedly showed BI officers helping Na flee after he attended a hearing for an estafa case at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on March 4.

“We will pursue this at the next subcommittee hearing. I will subpoena the CCTV footage, including the CCTV inside Pegasus, because it is possible that a transaction took place there,” Hontiveros said.

She added that while Na was rearrested, it was still disturbing that a manhunt was launched only after his escape was made public.

“This is symptomatic of the failures and offenses of the BI in handling erring foreign nationals. It seems that the culture of corruption within the agency continues,” she said.

Hontiveros also called on Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado to ensure that the immigration officers involved in what she called a “shameful incident” be given the strictest penalties, including criminal liability under Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code.

“I hope these government employees would have even a little shame,” she said.

The 28-year-old Na is wanted in South Korea for fraud after he supposedly lured his victims into investing in nonexistent accounts before withdrawing the funds for personal gain.