Senators: Probe execs in alleged foreigner smuggling

MANILA, Philippines — Some officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) need to be further investigated in connection with the alleged human smuggling of foreigners aboard a chartered private jet at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Feb. 13, senators said yesterday.

During the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, senators asked the BI and the PNP-AVSEGROUP leadership to look into the actions of immigration officer Jeff Pinpin and P/Col. Rhoderick Campo before the jet took off allegedly carrying one to two undocumented aliens out of its total 14 passengers of various nationalities.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo expressed belief that the issue was really a turf war among the BI, PNP-AVSEGROUP, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and other agencies at the NAIA, and was also possibly about some officials not getting their share of bribe money.

Tulfo questioned the phone call made by Campo, head of the PNP-AVSEGROUP for the National Capital Region, to Dionisio Robles, head of the intelligence and investigation unit of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), asking Robles to stop the jet from taking off.

“Col. Robles called another person to consult, so more calls were made so the plane was able to fly. But Col. Rhoderick Campo knows better that he should have not called Robles. What he should have done – and Campo knows this – is to immediately call the control tower,” Tulfo told the hearing conducted by Sen. Francis Tolentino, who chairs the committee, partly in Filipino.

Tulfo said that if Campo directly called the control tower operated by the CAAP, then authorities could have done a deeper inspection of the aircraft.

“Why was the wrong person called? Because the question really is, ‘how much?’” Tulfo added.

Tolentino said Pinpin, who apparently escorted the foreign passengers even if he was no longer assigned to the BI unit in charge of such duties, could be held liable for usurping public functions.

Pinpin admitted to the inquiry that he was off-duty when he escorted various foreign passengers into a private jet on the said date.

“The mere fact that you were relieved on Feb. 9 has nothing to do with your assertion of having an ongoing function, which is violative of Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code. You know what that is called? Usurpation of public functions,” Tolentino said.

During the previous hearing, it was revealed that Pinpin was the so-called “mystery immigration officer” who escorted foreign passengers to the private flight even though he was off duty in the night of Feb. 13.

In yesterday’s proceedings, it was learned that Pinpin asked to be transferred to an intelligence unit of the BI and was officially allowed to do so on Feb. 9.

The BI officer said he was still waiting to be properly relieved, the reason why he remained on his post even after Feb. 9.

Tolentino, however, dismissed the BI officer’s alibi, saying he has no business inside the NAIA after Feb. 9.

“So you were relieved (from your post). You admitted you were relieved. You now give discretion to the appointing designating authority who your replacement is. So you’re now on floating status – it has nothing to do with your relief,” the senator said.

It is clear under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code that any person who falsely represent himself/herself to be an officer, agent or representative of any department, “who, under the pretense of official position shall perform any act pertaining to any person in authority, shall suffer the penalty of prision correccional in its minimum and medium periods,” according to Tolentino.

For Sen. Grace Poe, airport and immigration personnel found liable for the human smuggling incident at the NAIA should face the consequences of their wrongdoings.

“It’s nothing personal to the officers concerned.  We are doing this to also protect the institution that you are supposed to be protecting,” Poe said during the hearing. – Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero