Taiwanese in “blackmail ring” face deportation

CEBU, Philippines- Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Seigfred Mison has issued a deportation order against the 43 Taiwanese who were arrested in Cebu City for their alleged involvement in the “blackmail ring.”

Bureau of Immigration – Cebu alien control officer Casimiro Madarang said he received the deportation order yesterday afternoon.  With the issuance deportation order, the legal custody of the 43 Taiwanese nationals will now be with BI.

  However, since BI-Cebu has no detention center that can accommodate the suspects, they will continue to be detained at the PNP headquarters while their deportation papers are being processed.

“The legal custody of the 43 Taiwanese nationals will now be under us. But adto lang sa sila i-detain sa PNP headquarters because we do not have the facility,” Madarang said.

Last week, Madarang recommended the issuance of a summary deportation order against the 69 foreign nationals (43 Taiwanese and 26 Chinese) for their alleged involvement in the “blackmail ring.”

The Office of the Commissioner is yet to decide on Madarang’s recommendation to have the Chinese nationals deported.

The foreigners were arrested last week during a raid conducted jointly by the Philippine National Police and BI. The operation was carried out after the authorities received information about the foreigners’ alleged extortion activities.

The group allegedly blackmailed other nationals in Taiwan and China but they operated here in the Philippines.

Madarang said their records show majority of the suspects have just arrived in the Philippines this month. They reportedly entered in Manila before coming to Cebu.

“Naay  uban ani nila nangabot mga August pa but majority nangabot just this month,” Madarang said.  (FREEMAN)