BI officer, 2 agents fall for ‘extortion’

An officer and two confidential agents of the Bureau of Immigration were arrested in an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation for reportedly demanding P500,000 from a Korean businessman over an alleged violation of immigration laws.

Caught in the act of receiving the P150,000 as partial payment of the original amount he originally demanded was immigration officer Dilausan Sarip Montor. The two BI confidential agents, Daniel Lumba and Marbert Impas, who were with Montor during the operation, were also arrested.

The NBI operatives, led by Supervising Agent Jose Ermie Monsanto, acted on a complaint filed by Lee Don Bum, set up an entrapment operation Monday evening at Café Orchidia, barangay Lahug.

The Korean businessman alleged that Montor asked for P500,000 to settle the problem of another Korean national, who is working for him, whose working permit had expired.

Montor allegedly threatened to make the problem bigger if Lee failed to pay the amount demanded. Lee claimed that aside from Montor, another immigration officer whose name was later identified as Donna Deriaga acted as mediator who negotiated for the transaction.

NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos said charges for bribery and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act 3019, on top of the administrative case for grave misconduct, will be filed against Montor. Criminal charges will also be filed against the two confidential agents.

Separate charges for graft and grave misconduct will also be filed against Deriaga for acting as mediator in the transaction.

De Lemos, however, said they are still verifying the status of the two confidential agents to determine if they could also be charged administratively.

But as of late yesterday afternoon, no charges have been filed because of the complainant’s failure to execute a supplemental affidavit. The NBI has already prepared the charges but because the complainant was a no-show, the filing of the case was withheld.

A source told The Freeman that Lee has been receiving calls from immigration officials pressuring him to withdraw the complaint.

Montor, Lumba and Impas are currently detained at the NBI headquarters but will likely be released today if no charges would be filed against them. – Fred P. Languido/LPM