Suselbeck blacklisted, set to be deported

MANILA, Philippines - Marc Suselbeck can now fly home to Germany.

The Board of Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) issued a Voluntary Deportation Order against the 41-year-old German at around 9:30 a.m. yesterday.

“Finding the request to be in order, and in appearing that the country’s interest will not be prejudiced thereby, we allow respondent Suselbeck, Marc, German national, to go on voluntary deportation, subject to his presenting a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance and his outbound ticket,” read the BI order.

However, Suselbeck was placed in the BI’s blacklist and would be prevented from returning to the country.

The Board of Commissioners is comprised of Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison and Associate Commissioners Abdullah Mangotara and Ronald Ledesma.

Suselbeck has already reportedly secured clearance from the NBI.

Under BI rules and procedure, an applicant for voluntary deportation is deemed to admit the charges against him; agrees to have his name placed in the blacklist and be barred from re-entering the country; and undertakes to secure his outbound ticket.

BI spokesman Elaine Tan said the Board of Commissioners approved Suselbeck’s voluntary deportation request after he admitted being an undesirable alien.

The board might not have considered  Suselbeck’s show of remorse when they allowed him to go home, she added.

Tan said Suselbeck’s case was given priority, although the Board of Commissioners was hearing other deportation cases.

“He made a request, it was a voluntary act and that he would no longer contest his deportation,” she said.

In a text message, Suselbeck’s lawyer Harry Roque Jr. thanked the public for showing  support and concern for his client, which he believe played a major role in convincing  authorities to finally let him go home.

“The Laude family are of the mind that the charges filed against him by the military were meant to silence them and to pressure them to come to a deal in regard to the case of their slain loved one, Jeffrey ‘Jennifer’ Laude,” read the text message. “His voluntary departure frees them from a difficult bind.”

Suselbeck spent his last few hours in the Philippines to visit Laude’s grave to say goodbye, he added.

Roque said Suselbeck will continue to fight for justice for Laude, although he was leaving the country.

“He very well understands the gravity of being placed in a blacklist of the Bureau of Immigration, as it could mean being barred from returning to the Philippines for the rest of his life,” he said. “For now, our priority is to get him on a flight to Germany as soon as possible, so that he does not lose his only source of livelihood there.” 

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas wants the  procedures of deportation and the blacklisting of undesirable aliens to be reviewed.

“Old rules and conditions set for deportation hearings should be tweaked to allow summary proceedings,” he said. – With Paolo Romero