DOJ: Immigration workers not yet in the clear over Guo’s escape

IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES. Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco inspects immigration counters in this undated photo. He said the BI is ready to expedite immigration procedures for Filipinos who will be repatriated from Israel amid its conflict with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. (Photo courtesy of BI via PNA)

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla said Wednesday his office is not ready to concede that there had been no involvement by immigration personnel in the exit of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo out of the country despite a Look-out Bulletin Order (ILBO) on her.

Guo was apprehended in Jakarta Tuesday by Indonesian police and her return to the country is being processed.

“May suspicion tayo (We have a suspicion) that some immigration people are involved,” Remulla told reporters in a press briefing.

“Isang masasabi ko dyan, nagpupuslit papasok… ang pastillas gang, at nagpupuslit din sila palabas. Kaya alam natin meron talagang gumagawa nun sa immigration (One thing I can say is that the so-called pastillas gang, they smuggle people in, and they also smuggle people out. So, we know there are people who do that in immigration),” he said.

Remulla echoed his previous belief that Guo’s sibling Shiela’s claim of having traveled by boat from somewhere in Central Luzon to flee the country is very unlikely.

He pointed out that riding a boat in the South China Sea for three days is very difficult, along with the constant threat of pirates.

Remulla said they are reviewing flight plans filed to check chartered flights that may have been used by Guo’s entourage to escape.

“Chini-check namin lahat ng records ng CAAP, mga records ng paglipad ng mga eroplano, kung merong chartered flights, kung merong mga chartered aviation flights na private planes. Pinag-aaralan pa rin natin (We are checking the records of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines if there had been chartered flights involving private planes. We are still reviewing that),” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice confirmed that the prosecution panel conducting a preliminary investigation on charges of qualified trafficking against Guo would soon resolve whether or not to file the case before the courts.

Guo, who had declined to attend the panel hearings, had filed a motion to reopen the investigation but it turned out that she could not have had the motion notarized at the time as she had already left the country.