Al-Qaeda links? US to deport 8 Pinoy airport mechanics

Eight Filipino aircraft mechanics in Texas are facing deportation after they pleaded guilty to violating immigration laws, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The eight were identified as Oscar Rabutaso, Rosauro Banaban, Roberto Carlos, Merman Bendoval, George Santarina, Solmeno Picardal, Richard Gavino and Eliseo Tolentino.

Two other Filipinos — Re-migio Guemo and Joey Maglalang — remained in detention as their lawyers were still trying to haggle for a downgrading of their offense from a felony to a misdemeanor.

The group was arrested by agents of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) at the Meacham airport in Dallas in a crackdown on overstaying aliens.

The Filipinos were also found to be working in a company other than that stipulated in their work permits.

But the National Federation of Filipino Americans claimed that the 10 airport workers were rounded up on suspicion that they were connected to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network. The Filipinos were the only ones left in jail while other nationals such as Mexicans and Peruvians have been released.

The Philippine Embassy explained that Mexico has 17 consulates in Texas alone, hence the need for consular services by its citizens was adequately met.

Ambassador to Washington Alberto del Rosario reported that he visited the eight Filipinos and none of them complained of maltreatment by prison authorities.

Overstaying Filipinos in the US ordinarily prefer to risk arrest by the INS instead of voluntarily leaving the country due to the difficulty of renewing their US visa and landing another job upon their return.

Last June, 62 Filipinos were shipped back home, accompanied by a Philippine consular official on a chartered plane from California.

They were handcuffed throughout their flight and were untied only upon arrival at Clark Field in Pampanga.

The DFA anticipates more Filipinos to be deported by the INS in the next few months in line with its crackdown on illegal aliens.