MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a 53-year-old American wanted by US federal authorities for rape near the US embassy in Manila on Wednesday.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the suspect as Teodoro Lumaban Jr.
who was about to renew his US passport at the embassy when accosted by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU), armed with a warrant of deportation.
“I signed the said warrant pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against him (Lumaban) for being an undocumented and undesirable alien,” he said in a statement.
Morente noted that the foreigner’s passport was already cancelled by the US government and was ordered expelled for posing risk to public safety and security due to his being a fugitive from justice.
On the other hand, Bobby Raquepo, BI-FSU acting head, said that Lumaban had been hiding in the country for more than three years.
He added the fugitive was unaware that his passport was canceled and that the US embassy, which sought his arrest, had already informed the BI-FSU about his scheduled appointment.
Earlier, the US embassy said that Lumaban is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a US district court in Virginia where was charged with sexually assaulting a minor.
No other details were provided by the embassy about the case.
The American is now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig and was already placed in the BI blacklist.
US federal agents are expected to fetch and escort the suspect back to the US.