Eighteen immigration officers in Pampanga were suspended following complaints that they extorted P9 million from 15 Koreans whom they were arrested last month.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Department of Justice ordered the preventive suspension of his 18 intelligence officers while the bureau is conducting an investigation.
The Korean victims asked the help of the Department of Justice, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption after they were allegedly threatened to be detained if they did not give money to the immigration officers. They said they were arrested in Angeles on March 6 and transferred to BI in Intramuros, Manila. They were only released when they gave P9 million.
“Extortion is a violation of our oath of service. We cannot allow such instances to go unpunished,” Manila Started quoted Morente.
“We have requested the DOJ, which is our mother department, to issue the suspension order,” he added.
“We have our Board of Discipline to recommend to the DOJ sanctions against these employees if proven guilty,” he said. “We have also requested the NBI to conduct a separate probe against them for the filing of criminal charges.”
Morente reiterated that the agency is “serious in sweeping its ranks” and vows to rid of corrupt and erring personnel.
“The President’s directive is clear, we will weed out corruption in the BI. No one will be spared,” Morente said.
