BI: Officers who detained John Hay exec just ‘doing job’

MANILA, Philippines - A Bureau of Immigration (BI) official defended yesterday three immigration officers charged with arbitrary detention and grave coercion for allegedly preventing a top executive of the private developer of Camp John Hay from traveling to the United States last May 11.

The bureau will provide a lawyer for BI-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) operations chief Benito Se Jr., supervisor Luzviminda Boto and officer Johnel Badua, BI spokesperson Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said.

“They were just performing their job. They would not do that unless there is a basis for that action,” she said.

Robert John Sobrepeña, chairman of the Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevCo), is reportedly the subject of a lookout bulletin. Sobrepeña filed charges against the three BI officers with the Pasay prosecutor’s office.

Mangrobang said being sued is one of the hassles their field personnel have to deal with but she explained that their people were merely following orders.  

She added that travelers could avoid these kinds of problems at the airport “if they are aware that they are in the watchlist, lookout bulletin and hold departure order (HDO). They should go directly to the court or the Department (of Justice) to have themselves cleared, if that is their intention, or request for an allowed departure order (ADO). An immigration officer at our ports of departure would not be in a position to override existing orders from court or from the” DOJ, which supervises the BI.

Once they secure an ADO, they should submit it to the BI so the agency could issue an implementing order and they would enjoy a “hassle-free departure.”

Last May 11, Sobrepeña was not allowed to leave for the United States. He believes that he should have been allowed to travel abroad since there was no HDO issued against him.

Sobrepeña said he was going to the US for a business trip and he had no intention to evade prosecution in the malversation case recently approved by the DOJ.

The DOJ approved the indictment of Sobrepeña and other CJHDevCo officials for their alleged failure to remit P121 million in earnings from 16 units of the Camp John Hay Manor Hotel, which was supposedly meant as partial settlement of the CJHDevCo’s unpaid rent.

The CJHDevCo denied the charges, saying that the Bases Conversion and Development Authority was reportedly harassing CJHDevCo officials.