NBI to pursue probe on Korean fugitive’s multiple escapes

MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will continue its probe on the multiple escapes of South Korean fugitive Cho Seongdae while in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration last year despite the replacement of BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison, an official of the Department of Justice (DOJ) said yesterday.

Justice Undersecretary and spokesman Emmanuel Caparas ordered new BI Commissioner Ronaldo Geron Jr. to coordinate with the NBI regarding the investigation.

The STAR reported earlier that the NBI has submitted a report to the DOJ finding Mison and 17 others liable for Cho’s escapes.

Mison reportedly did not cooperate with the probe when he was still in office.

Caparas expressed hope the bureau under the new commissioner would cooperate with the NBI.

The BI is one of the agencies under the supervision of the DOJ.

“We want to know if there are additional documents or evidence that could help the investigators,” Caparas said.

While Caparas confirmed the submission of the NBI report, he said a thorough investigation is needed to strengthen possible cases to be filed by the NBI.

“We don’t want to be filing charges without solid evidence. That would be unfair to those involved. We have to make sure the allegations are supported by documents,” he said.

In its 21-page report, the NBI recommended the filing of administrative complaint for grave misconduct against Mison.

The report signed by NBI special task force chief Peter Chan Lugay alleged that Mison committed lapses when he allowed the transfer of Cho from the BI jail in Taguig City to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) detention cell at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City following his second arrest in October last year.

The NBI probe showed that Mison personally visited the fugitive in his detention room at the ISAFP compound, where he supposedly struck a deal with Cho to get his “cooperation in finding the truth surrounding his first escape from the BI jail.”

Apart from Mison, the NBI recommended the filing of administrative and criminal charges against 14 BI guards and agents and three ISAFP personnel.

Records showed that Cho, who is wanted for an extortion case in South Korea, was first arrested in the country on Sept. 11, 2015. He was taken to the hospital following his arrest after complaining of difficulty in breathing, but he managed to escape from his escorts.

The fugitive is also facing charges of robbery and extortion in Cavite.

Cho was recaptured and detained at the BI jail. He escaped again on Sept. 29, 2015 after allegedly paying P1 million to three BI personnel who facilitated his first escape through the help of his China-based friend, Woo Jin, whom he also paid P500,000.

The 49-year-old fugitive was arrested on Oct. 10 last year in Parañaque City and was brought to the ISAFP facility, where he escaped for the third time on Oct. 21, 2015.

On Nov. 2 last year, Cho was arrested by joint BI and ISAFP operatives in Pagsanjan, Laguna and has since been detained at the NBI headquarters in Manila.