Manalac, Castro banned from BID-7 operations

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales recently has prohibited assistant regional state prosecutor Vicente Mañalac and fourth assistant Cebu City prosecutor Mary Ann Castro from joining any operation of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation-7.

Gonzales issued last June 29 Department Order 469, which states that Mañalac and Castro have been detailed partially with the BID in Mandaue City to assist in the investigation of administrative cases.

They are however "prohibited from engaging or joining in any operation of the BID-7 in the enforcement of immigration laws unless otherwise directed by the regional director-alien control officer," said the order.

BID regional director Geronimo Rosas yesterday wrote the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor to give him the work schedules of Castro and Mañalac so that he could determine how many hours and days the two would report to the bureau.

"They are partially detailed to the BID, I think it is proper to know when they are going to report and how many hours they will work," Rosas said.

Because of the order, BID regional director Geronimo Rosas said Castro's monthly pay of P25,000 will be reduced to P12,000 starting this July, based on a separate order from BID Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., who himself approved earlier the higher salary.

Rosas disclosed that only P12,000 monthly is paid to a prosecutor detailed on a partial basis at the BID, including Mañalac, but Castro had been an exception although Rosas did not elaborate. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan