BI eyes inside job in Korean fugitive’s escape

MANILA, Philippines — Suspecting an inside job, the Bureau of Immigration is investigating more BI personnel possibly involved in the escape of South Korean fugitive Na Ikhyeon.

“Additional BI employees are under investigation for possible neglect or failure to prevent Na’s escape,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

Three immigration security officers were dismissed after Na fled on March 4 after attending a court hearing on his fraud case in Quezon City.

One of the BI officers is facing charges, Viado noted.

Viado has ordered the agency to perform “background checks on BI officers handling foreign fugitives, implement personnel rotations to prevent long-term ties with detainees and strengthen collaboration with foreign intelligence agencies for fugitive monitoring and tracking.”

On Sunday, Viado recommended the “preventive suspension of additional BI personnel, with more expected to follow.”

Na was rearrested on March 9 together with another South Korean fugitive, Kang Changbeom, in Angeles City, Pampanga.

“The days of under-the-table deals and inside jobs are over. We will ensure that those responsible are removed from their positions, prosecuted and sentenced to jail,” Viado said.

Lawmakers should amend policy loopholes allegedly used by foreign fugitives to avoid deportation, he said.

“Some legal practitioners have been exploiting the system by filing cases against their own fugitive clients, arguing that they must remain in the Philippines due to ongoing legal cases,” Viado noted.

Fugitives linked to criminal rings are hiring top-notch lawyers and circumventing immigration policies, the BI chief said.