Commissioner Marcelino Libanan of the Bureau of Immigration has placed immigration officer Dilausan Sarip Montor on floating status pending the result of a formal investigation against him following his arrest for alleged extortion.
Libanan said he already formed a panel from Manila to look into the alleged misconduct of Montor and two BI confidential agents who were arrested in an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation last Monday.
Libanan confirmed that confidential agents Daniel Gumba and Mabert Impas are contractual employees of the BI. He, however, said they are not allowed to operate without a mission order.
Libanan said he could not also remember issuing a mission order against Korean businessman Lee Dong Bum.
Lee sought the NBI’s assistance after he was allegedly harassed by Montor and the two confidential agents. Montor allegedly demanded P500,000 from Lee to settle the immigration problem of his fellow Korean.
Libanan said that much as he would want to place Montor and the two agents under preventive suspension, he could not do so without giving them due process.
Lee, however, admitted that there is prima facie evidence that would likely be used as basis to place them under preventive suspension because of the absence of the mission order.
Montor, Gumba and Impas were already charged with bribery, violation of the Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and R.A. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.
Another immigration officer who allegedly brokered the illegal transaction, Donna Deriaga, was likewise charged with graft and corruption and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards.
The Korean complainant, however, did not anymore show interest to pursue the case against the suspects.
But the NBI went ahead with the filing of the case despite Lee’s lack of interest. — Fred P. Languido/QSB