Authorities arrest fugitive from S. Korea

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — One of the most wanted fugitives in South Korea was finally arrested in this city yesterday by a team of operatives from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Dumaguete City Police Office, headed by its chief, Supt. James Goforth and the intelligence unit chief, Sr. Insp Benedict Poblete.

Immigration agent Armelo de Castro, head of the fugitives unit of the BI, based on Manila, identified the Korean fugitive as Ha Hae Bong, also known as Michael Ha, 53 years old, married to a Filipina and residing at Brgy. Boloc-boloc in Sibulan town of Negros Oriental.

De Castro was with a BI team of three—Vincent Bryan Allas, Dione Bustonera Jr and Ulysses Ramos—assisted by the City Police in serving a warrant of deportation against Ha at the airport area in Sibulan, in the presence of the Korean’s wife Lea Bobon Ha.

Recovered from the possession of Ha were a Norinco .45-caliber pistol (SR No. BA 06595) and a maganize loaded with four live ammunition.

According to de Castro, the Korean fugitive was charged with several robbery and embezzlement cases in his home land, thus, a warrant for his deportation was issued by Commissioner Ricardo David Jr.

While deportation papers were served, Ha reportedly pulled out the gun tucked in his left waistline, prompting the authorities to confiscate it also. The firearm, however was licensed, according to the BI personnel.

Ha’s lawyer, Joel Obar, told The Freeman: “The arrest of Mr. Ha by the BI is a routine procedure of the bureau whenever a foreign country seeks its assistance. Mr. Ha will seek for voluntary exit for him to face his problems in his country of birth. Mr. Ha has business interest in the Philippines and he has a Filipina wife. For the moment, let us allow the legal processes to take its course.”

In a separate interview, de Castro said he was told that Ha was also facing a number of criminal cases in Negros Oriental, one of which was filed by another Korean, Pastor Kim Seong Kook of Villa Angela Subdivision in Bacolod City.

Kim filed in November 2006 carnapping, theft, estafa and robbery charges against Ha in Bacolod City for allegedly taking the pastor’s Revo vehicle, documents, dollars and items from his church.

Meanwhile, records showed Pastor Kim is also facing rape and acts of lasciviousness charges filed against him by members of his congregation.

The arrest of Ha came after another foreign national, a German named Leipski Joachim was also arrested by the same immigration personnel and the Dauin town police yesterday. Joachim had a warrant of deportation for a murder case in his homeland. (FREEMAN)