To Pave Way For Probe Doj Puts Mary Ann Under Suspension

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Justice has placed controversial prosecutor Mary Ann Castro under indefinite preventive suspension and ordered her recalled from the Bureau of Immigration.

The order came a day after Castro filed a P20 million-libel suit against Acting Executive Secretary and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde for asking Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales for her recall from the BI and taking appropriate disciplinary action on her alleged irregularities.

Secretary Silvestre Bello III, secretary to the cabinet, told The Freeman that Gonzales issued yesterday the recall order of Castro and her preventive suspension pending the investigation of the complaints against her.

Bello said that the order will take effect immediately as soon as Castro receives a copy.

Castro however said that she has not received any order for her relief and indefinite preventive suspension.

According to her, what she received was a call from Gonzales’ executive secretary Philip de la Cruz asking confirmation about the report of her filing a libel case against Remonde.

Castro said she was asked to report to Manila about it.

But, Bello said, he personally talked to Gonzales yesterday and he was told that the order was already issued.

“Nag-istorya mi ganina ni Secretary Gonzales he will recall Castro from BI. She will be put her under preventive suspension pending investigation,” Bello told The Freeman.

Bello explained that the preventive suspension will be considered indefinite, because it will be in effect until the investigation is completed. Remonde asked Gonzales the other day to recall Castro from the BI and take appropriate disciplinary action.

Remonde based his action on the request of Casimiro Madarang III, of BI-7, because the presence of Castro in their office is allegedly divisive.

According to Remonde, he personally received copies of several documents detailing Castro’s alleged shenanigans.

Madarang requested for the palace’s intervention to remove Castro from the immigration office. Madarang asked Remonde, being a Cebuano and the designated Cabinet Official for Regional Development in Central Visayas, to facilitate such.

Madarang in the complaint he earlier filed before the anti-graft office accused Castro of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

He claimed that Castro is demanding overtime pay from the airport even if she is not entitled to such. Castro was also accused of throwing her weight around by dropping names of Gonzales and even president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

MORE TROUBLE?

Castro is facing another legal tussle at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas after the regional director of the Bureau of Immigration endorsed yesterday at least three complaints of alleged graft and corruption against her.

BI regional director Madarang forwarded for “appropriate legal action” to the anti-graft office the complaints filed by lawyer Kim Grace Mendoza, Ron Elier Rodis, Elizabeth Cabilin and Lenny Nuñez Nengasca against Castro.

The complainants accused Castro, who is detailed at the BI since 2005, of corrupt practices.

Mendoza claimed that Castro demanded a Pajero and a Mercedes Benz from her Japanese client in exchange for the dismissal of a deportation case against him.

Mendoza said she is the lawyer of Japanese National Hideo Kikuchi, who is facing a deportation case filed by his wife, Giselle Arabis.

Mendoza said she found the complaint against her client purely marital and civil in nature that cannot be threshed out before Castro’s office prompting her to see the latter to clarify matters.

However, she was allegedly threatened by Castro of a criminal case for obstruction of justice and warned that her client will be placed under the immigration watchlist should they refuse to follow her.

Mendoza said Castro demanded “the Mitsubishi Pajero and Mercedes Benz and the deportation case will be dismissed.”

Mendoza said Castro made the demand personally and repeated it through a text message. She added that Castro held her client’s passport and refused to return it.

Another complaint was filed by Rodis and Cabilin, who petitioned for the re-acquisition and or retention of their Philippine citizenship.

They claimed that Castro and a certain Lynda Tiu are withholding their papers and demanded for P15,000 as payment.

According to them, they know that it would only cost them P5,000 to re-acquire and retain their Filipino citizenship. They claimed that the P15,000 demand was for a package deal for them to be able to lessen their expenses, because they were made to believe that if they apply in Manila it would cost them P50,000. A similar complaint was also lodged by Nengasca, who claimed that she accompanied her uncle to Castro to obtain her permanent residency in Cebu.

Nengasca said that Castro’s secretary, whom she only identified as Ging-Ging, and an unidentified guy explained to them the package.

Castro however denied the allegation claiming that the case was submitted for amicable settlement. Castro admitted having said, “give the Mitsubishi Pajero and Mercedes Benz and the deportation case will be dismissed,” but it was allegedly not for her.

She explained that this was the demand of the complaint during the mediation because the vehicles were allegedly taken by Kikuchi from his wife. In fact, Castro said Kikuchi was charged with two counts of carnapping before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo.

Castro said that Kikuchi is now considered a fugitive from law because of arrest warrant issued by the court.

She added that Nengasca, Rodis and Cabilin’s complaints are all products of the alleged efforts of Madarang to have her ousted from the BI. Castro vowed to file a complaint against Madarang. “He is courting another legal action,” Castro said.—/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)