BI official explains why Parawan managed to fly out of the country

Lorega-San Miguel barangay captain Fortunato Parawan had outwitted immigration officials by presenting himself as a businessman and enabling him to travel out of the Philippines despite a hold departure order against him for a pending criminal case.

Immigration regional director Geronimo Rosas admitted yesterday that Parawan left for the United States last December 30, but the office did not know Parawan is a public official so the personnel failed to ask from him the authority to travel, as required.

Rosas said Parawan posed as a businessman, as shown in his accomplished embarkation card, and immigration officers at the airport are not expected to know all government officials and employees, unless they identify themselves.

Rosas further said Parawan's name was not in the computer's list of people with standing hold departure order, and the central office in Manila did not furnish the regional office with a copy of the order against Parawan.

This caused immigration supervisor Casimiro Madarang III, at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, to clear the barangay official's travel out of the country, said Rosas, adding that the bureau has been observing strictly the rules on travel authority and hold order.

Lawyer Alfonso de la Cerna, the father of an engineer who filed graft and corruption charges against Parawan and other top officials of the city's Association of Barangay Councils, had earlier demanded from Rosas for an explanation on the immigration snafu.

De la Cerna also threatened to file a case against immigration officers responsible for allowing Parawan to fly to the United States despite the hold departure order.

Parawan, as ABC secretary, is one of the respondents in the criminal case for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act filed by engineer Leah Rondez against ABC officials for allegedly refusing to pay her leaves and other benefits after she was illegally terminated.

Rondez, youngest daughter of de la Cerna, accused ABC officials headed by its president Eugenio Faelnar for illegally terminating her services while refusing to pay her terminal leave pay amounting to P122,480 and other benefits. - Fred P. Languido