BI chief faces graft raps anew

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Siegfred Mison is facing another graft case before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) for alleged irregularities involving the arrest and subsequent release from detention of an illegal foreign national.

In a complaint filed with the antigraft body last May 28, BI intelligence officer Ricardo Cabochan accused Mison and six other BI employees of ordering and facilitating the release of a certain Fu Gaofeng, despite the fact that the latter was allegedly scheduled for summary deportation.

Cabochan asked the OMB to indict Mison and the six employees for allegedly violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Correct Practices Act, RA 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

Also named respondents in the complaint were BI agents Wilson Soluren, Gary Baltazar, Arsenio Cantada and Andres Sayoco; warden facility duty agent Aldrin Larrosa and acting jail warden L’Rev dela Cruz.

Cabochan also asked the OMB to order the preventive suspension of Mison pending investigation of the case and prevent the latter from tampering and destroying evidence that would implicate him.

Mison, however, denied the charges and said the case is part of a smear campaign against his drive to rid the bureau of “bad guys” two of whom were charged last week with graft by a Chinese national for alleged extortion.

It was Cabochan who earlier filed a graft case against Mison before the OMB for allegedly allowing a previously deported and blacklisted alien to re-enter the country.