Big money at Immigration

By: Ernesto M. Maceda

(The Philippine Star)

Updated January 6, 2011 12:00 AM

Links: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=645716&publicationSubCategoryId=64

Officers and employees of the Bureau of Immigration are up in arms against the “gross, blatant and deliberate violations of law” of Atty. Ronald P. Ledesma, officer-in-charge. They accuse him of removals, designations and reassignments of personnel without the approval of the Secretary of Justice. Particularly targetted are those considered close to President Arroyo and to former Commissioner Marcelino Libanan. Many have been arbitrarily transferred to outports. Employees have been ordered to be out of their offices by 5:30 p.m.

A white paper also points out that thousands of illegal Chinese and Korean nationals have entered the country and are holding jobs or doing business under the protection of Immigration officials. In Divisoria alone, hundreds of non-tagalog speaking Chinese are openly doing work as vendors and salesclerks. The “going rate” for non arrest is P250,000 per head. Also flourishing is a racket for the approval of petitions for recognition filed by naturalized Chinese for a fee of P300,000 per head.

Three women fixers headed by Betty well known at Binondo, are operating. Also thriving is the sale of missionary visas to fake pastors and clergymen.

Human trafficking and escort services at the airport is flourishing but with the price per head going up from P200,000 to P500,000. The US Embassy has complained about the large number of Filipino arrivals in the US with fake visas which should have been caught at NAIA. 

The long lines at airport counters are still there. While it takes five minutes or less to clear immigration in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and Singapore, it takes 20-30 minutes at the NAIA. New rules imposed by OIC Ledesma under Memorandum Order No. RPL-10-004 have delayed the airport clearance.

OIC Ronald Ledesma is impervious to criticism and advice and is very arrogant because he was recommended by a close associate of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa. Walang tuwid na daan sa Bureau of Immigration.  DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima should take a closer look at what is happening at the Bureau of Immigration. There’s an impending paralysis about to hit that office.

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POLICE BESTIALITY . . . PO3 Antonio Bautista of the Manila Police District has been charged with rape and robbery perpetrated on a 30-year old vendor on New Year’s eve, Dec. 31 inside MPD Headquarters on UN Avenue, the 10th case of police grave misconduct the last four weeks alone.

PO3 Bautista and a companion arrested the victim for vagrancy on Carriedo Street while on her way to Sta. Cruz church, despite her protestation that she was waiting for her partner who was buying coffee.

At the MPD headquarters, Bautista took P4,000 from her wallet, then demanded she performs oral sex, then raped her in exchange for her release.

How many times has he done this to women he has arrested? Sources in the MPD say he had a similar case three months ago. When suspects are brought to headquarters or a police station, are they recorded in the police blotter? And shouldn’t the Chief of Police or the Station Commander monitor what is happening in the backroom where suspects are held?

Before this PO3 Bautista incident, we saw a video of Supt. Joselito Binayug torturing a suspect in a Tondo police sub station. Was he dismissed? 

How about the policeman who was accused of raping a masseuse at the San Juan police station? Was he suspended? Five QC cops are now accused of kidnapping with murder by James Kumar and two companions in Pasay. One of them was found shot to death in Bulacan. A police major went berserk in Pasig.

DILG Sec. Jessie Robredo who is chairman of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) has finally taken note of the successive cases of rogue policemen involved in serious crimes. He promised to speed up the disposition of administrative cases against policemen. There’s a big problem here as there is corruption in NAPOLCOM as shown by the low 15 percent rate of dismissal, aggravated by the long delay in resolving cases, as long as five years.

After six months, it has been one “palpak” after another for the Robredo-Puno team at DILG.

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NO ANCHORS . . .President Aquino assured the Philippine Navy he will secure more ships for them at the installation of Admiral Alexander Pama as FOIC.

As Ambassador to the US, we were able to get a patrol craft (PCF) from the US. The US made available to us a bigger coast guard ship being phased out of service but the AFP preferred to get choppers and a  C-130 for the PAF and 6x6 trucks for the Army. It’s time to give priority to the Philippine Navy, considering our long coastline.

We made an official visit to China as chairman of the committee on national defense and security of the Senate. China also manufactures ships of all classes. If we befriend China, we can also get brand new ships from them on very easy terms.

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NO LAW ENFORCERS. . .According to LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway, the Gasat Express bus that killed 7 family members in a head-on collision at the Star Tollway was out of line and had no permit to ply the Manila-Batangas-Iloilo route.

So how was it able to travel from Cubao-Makati to SLEX to Batangas without any LTO or PNP highway patrol agents stopping it?

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TIDBITS. . . Aroroy, Masbate Vice Mayor Vicente Maristela was shot dead in an ambush in Fairview, Quezon City. Twenty people have died in the flash floods in Bicol, Leyte and Eastern Mindanao.

Southern Police District PO1 Pedro Reyes has been accused of stabbing a neighbor on New Year’s eve.

Condolences to the family of the late Gov. Nancy Q. Sison of Pangasinan.  Her remains are at Loyola chapels at Guadalupe