Hearing of Bolante’s case set next month

WASHINGTON – Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, charged with trying to enter the United States without a valid visa, is scheduled to appear before US immigration Judge George Katsivalis in Chicago on Nov. 9 for a merit hearing of his case, reports here said.

Chicago-based immigration lawyer Maricar Madrid-Crost, a University of the Philippines law school graduate who is closely monitoring the case, said she expected Katsivalis to render his decision that same day as was the normal practice.

"Of course the judge may take more time to deliberate on the matter but usually an order is issued at the conclusion of the hearing that same day," she said.

She said Harry Roque, head of a group of UP lawyers lobbying to have Bolante deported, has been asked to appear at the Immigration Court in Chicago as a witness for the government.

Roque’s group has filed an amicus brief before the court declaring its opposition to Bolante’s reported request for political asylum but there is no indication the brief has been accepted, Madrid-Crost said.

It has been widely reported that Bolante is seeking political asylum in the US to avoid being sent back to the Philippines but no US officials have confirmed or denied this.

Authorities have issued a "gag order" citing the delicate nature of the case.

Amicus curiae, a Latin phrase that means "friend of the court," refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it.

Last week a US district court denied a petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by Bolante who objected to his detention on the grounds his visa was illegally revoked.

The court ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear the case.