Azurin intercepted in Canada, DFA confirms

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed yesterday that former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. was intercepted upon his arrival in Canada a few days ago.

But the DFA, through its budget sponsor Nueva Ecija Rep. Joseph Violago, said that Azurin was not deported by the Canadian government as previously reported.

“It seems that there was a misunderstanding, misinterpretation on what happened,” Violago noted during the House of Representatives’ hearing on the proposed budget of DFA for 2024.

The lawmaker underscored that the Canadian government had already “expressed their regrets with the miscommunication.”

News reports showed that Azurin was held by Canadian immigration upon arrival at the Langley Airport over the drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Azurin reportedly opted to take a flight back home rather than be further harassed by immigration officers.

Asked by House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan for details, Violago claimed that the incident happened a few days ago when Azurin “voluntarily went to Canada.”

He added the former PNP chief also returned to the Philippines “voluntarily.”

According to him, the Canadian embassy is already looking into the incident and it “will go back to our Philippine embassy to relay what really happened.”

He said the DFA had received a report about the incident but refused to discuss it during the hearing, citing Azurin’s privacy.

The lawmaker said the Canadian government also does not want the matter discussed in public to prevent it from being blown out of proportion.

Violago added that DFA is waiting for the official statement from the Canadian embassy.

“The Department is in touch with Canadian authorities and hopes to get a better understanding of the incident soon,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Teresita Daza said in a message to reporters.

“While our foreign service posts are ready to assist Filipino travelers, including former government officials, these cases have privacy issues surrounding them,” she said.

The Canadian embassy in Manila cannot comment on case-specific inquiries on immigration issues due to its obligations to Canada’s Privacy Act.

Brother-in-law behind it?

Meanwhile, Azurin has tagged his classmate, PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, as the source of information about his alleged deportation?from Canada.

Azurin said he is certain that Sermonia, his mistah at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1989, concocted supposed half-truths of the incident he experienced abroad.

“Sermonia had been spreading lies about my alleged ‘deportation.’ Maybe he knows something that everyone in our country do not know,” Azurin said in a statement to reporters.

Apart from being classmates in the PMA, Azurin and Sermonia are married to sisters, making them brothers-in-law.

Azurin retired from the PNP on April 24, 2023 while Sermonia, the No. 2 man, will reach mandatory retirement age on Jan. 26, 2024.

Azurin said he went to Canada on Sept. 17 to fetch his wife when he was informed that somebody concocted what he described as malicious information about him.

Sermonia, for his part, denied that he was the one who fed people with information about Azurin’s alleged deportation.“There is no reason for me to do what I am being accused of,” he said, adding he will not dignify the accusations with a reply.

The Philippine government was apparently unaware about Azurin’s case as the Bureau of Immigration was not informed about the incident, according to Commissioner Norman Tansingco. – Pia Lee-Brago, Emmanuel Tupas, Ghio Ong