Bureau of Immigration nabs American wanted for rape

MANILA, Philippines - A 56-year-old American wanted in Guam on rape charge was recently arrested by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration, BI officials reported yesterday.

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. identified the fugitive as David James Hart, who was arrested last Oct. 2 in Mapandan, Pangasinan by operatives of the BI fugitive search unit.

David said Hart is wanted by the US marshals service in Guam where a US district court had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of rape and failure to register as a sex offender.

The United States embassy did not divulge further information about the suspect or his victim and how and when he committed the crime, David said.

He said Hart will be deported as soon as the BI board of commissioners issues the warrant for his summary deportation.

BI acting intelligence chief Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said Hart will be deported for being an undocumented alien, which resulted from the cancellation of his passport by the US government.

She said the fugitive has been on the US government’s wanted list since February this year when the arrest order was issued by the Guam court. She also said that Hart has been frequenting the country since 2007 and that his last arrival here was on Oct. 8 last year.

“However, he will no longer be able to return to the Philippines because he will be placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens,” Mangrobang said.

She said the country’s immigration law expressly prohibits the entry of foreigners who have been charged and convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.