Kidnap victim Jackie Rowena Tiu yesterday appealed to President Arroyo to remove Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) following the escape of another detainee from its detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
"I appeal to President Arroyo to please handle this situation with an iron fist. The BI is making a mockery of our President’s efforts and orders, of our country’s rules, of the victims’ pain and suffering, and of the victims’ hopes to get justice," Tiu said.
And as if her prayers were heard, Malacañang vowed to pursue the investigation against the immigration officials involved in the escape of Sri Lankan Keerthi Jamayaha last Monday.
"They (BI) officials must be put to task for such embarrassing escapes," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
"There must be a thorough investigation and all concerned officials should be held responsible for the escapes or they just might find themselves out of their jobs," he said.
Ermita said the guards on duty during the time of the escape would be held responsible.
Asked whether the top BI leadership would be held accountable, Ermita added: "Whoever has responsibility must be held accountable."
For her part, Tiu admitted this was the first time she has openly called for Fernandez’s "head."
Tiu said she had reserved her criticism of Fernandez to give him the benefit of the doubt in the investigation of the escape of Zhang Du, a Chinese national who is among seven suspects in her kidnapping.
She said the findings of the BI in the escape of Zhang last May 7 had resulted in a frustrating "lemon."
The escape of Keerthi last Monday, Tiu said, was the last straw, adding she had no more patience for the BI and Fernandez.
She explained that accountability should not stop with some petty jail guards or officials, but should instead go all the way up to the head of the bureau.
"Heads of BI personnel rolling is not enough. I appeal to the President to start with the head of Commissioner Fernandez. He has proven his incompetence by allowing alien after alien to escape from detention. He is a liability," Tiu said.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) probing the escape of Zhang said they were hoping that Keerthi would turn state witness and reveal how the Chinese suspect was deported and returned to China despite facing kidnapping charges here.
Keerthi, along with other top BI officials, were named respondents by the NBI in the charges lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Included in the charge sheet were BI Intelligence Division Chief Faizal Hussin; Superintendent Wendy Garcia Rosario, BI former acting chief of the Civil Security Unit (CSU); Senior Inspector Noel Campos Espinosa, former acting warden of BI-BDC; contractual
confidential agent (CA) Alex Piñon Bolado; former CA Joselito Mati Pagaduan, assigned at the BDC; and Immigration Officer Allan Reyes, assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Also included in the charges were two Chinese nationals, namely Zhang’s wife Wen Yueming, alias Josie, and Engelbert Ng Sy.
All of them were charged for violating provisions of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act; falsification of public documents; obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders, among other charges.
According to Tiu, the news of Keerthi’s escape is "a mere cover-up."
Keerthi reportedly acted as a "go-between" for prisoners wanting to arrange special favors with BI officials.
"Only a moron would believe that this was an escape," Tiu said.
Tiu pointed out Keerthi does not need to stage an escape since he is still entitled to perks and privileges even while in prison.
The Sri Lankan reportedly even left detention to stay at a hotel for two days to arrange the travel papers of Zhang to China.
"If he (Keerthi) wanted to escape, he would do so during the times he was given passes and not bolt jail," Tiu added.
Tiu also appealed to Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes, chief of the National Anti-Crime Task Force (NACTF), to instruct the NBI under Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda to conduct a deeper probe into the latest escape anomaly.
An appeal was also extended to Congress by Tiu, asking lawmakers to legislate measures giving more protection to kidnap victims and to impose stiffer penalties for dereliction of duty in the custody of prisoners.
"I am a Filipina kidnap-for-ransom victim, kidnapped by foreigners. In the process of waiting for justice, the BI just deports my kidnapper despite a hold-departure order," Tiu said.
Tiu claimed the escape "sends a reverberating message to criminals worldwide that they can just come to the Philippines to commit their crimes" and could get away and escape prosecution through the courtesy of corrupt immigration officials.
Fernandez, for his part, ordered the relief of all jail guards who were on duty at the time of Keerthi’s escape and has formed a panel to investigate. — With Paolo Romero