Raps filed vs. BID-7 head, 2 aides

A liaison officer of an Australian who claimed to have been a victim of corruption at the Bureau of Immigration has filed a string of criminal and administrative charges before the Ombudsman-Visayas against regional director Geronimo Rosas and two of his alleged aides.

Teresita Rosco accused Rosas, his nephew Edmund Rosas and Fred Suico of falsification, malversation and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly using recycled receipts that may have deprived the government of its supposed income.

Rosco also charged them administratively for grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public official and conduct prejudicial to public interest.

Rosco asked the anti-graft office to immediately issue a preventive suspension against Rosas pending the investigation because she is allegedly being harassed by three unidentified men who keep on coming to her place looking for her.

She has worked for Glenn Sylvester Phillips for some years now and part of her job is to apply and follow up for the extension of her employer's tourist visa. Last April 6 she said she applied on behalf of her employer for a two-month visa extension.

Suico, a driver of Rosas, allegedly entertained Rosco and gave her a temporary order of payment slip showing the total amount to be paid is P7,070.

According to Rosco, she gave P7,500 to Suico as payment to have her employer's passport marked with the BI rubberstamp extending his stay for two months. To her surprise, she said the receipts of the payment were all recycled.

"When I received and examined the officials receipts, I noticed with surprise that there were many erasures, alterations and super-impositions on the said receipts," Rosco said.

She added that there were also charges in the receipt that were not supposed to be there.

"These receipts were recycled, meaning that these receipts were issued to a different foreigner and was used again as official receipt for the payment I made," Rosco said.

Rosco said Rosas' signing the passport of her employer even if the receipts were clearly recycled can only mean that the official has personal knowledge of the illegal activity. - Fred P. Languido