BI chief sacked over Guo escape

MANILA, Philippines — Following the escape of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo, the first head to roll is that of immigration commissioner Norman Tansingco.

President Marcos had vowed that “heads will roll” in the wake of Guo’s departure from the Philippines.

Tansingco’s dimissal “has already been approved by the President,” Secretary Cesar Chavez of the Presidential Communications Office said in a text message to reporters yesterday.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Marcos accepted his recommendation to sack Tansingco.

“Yes, the President and I have come to an agreement… He (Tansingco) will be replaced,” Remulla said, explaining that the recommendation he made was due to a number of issues, which include Guo’s escape despite being on the immigration lookout bulletin.

“I’m not satisfied. Marami kaming naging problema (We had a lot of problems),” Remulla told reporters.

He said among the problems was Tansingco’s inaction on the reported issuance of working visas to fake companies, which allowed undesirable aliens to enter the country.

“I called his attention to it, wala siyang ginawa (he did nothing),” Remulla said.

“I’ve completely lost any trust or confidence in him,” he said in a separate interview over ANC.

He said he also called out Tansingco for failing to inform him immediately about Guo’s exit from the country.

“That is why we are no longer on speaking terms. That kind of behavior, it is not right for him not to inform the DOJ secretary about what is going on with your office,” Remulla said.

Both Malacañang and Remulla did not say whether the Bureau of Immigration chief abetted Guo’s escape. In an interview last month, Marcos warned “heads will roll” if government personnel were found to have aided Guo’s escape.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian had said the BI was aware of Guo’s escape but it kept the President in the dark on her whereabouts.

Guo was arrested by Indonesian authorities at Cendana Parc Residences at Tangerang City in Banten province on Sept. 4. She was extradited from Indonesia to the Philippines early Friday.

The former mayor allegedly left the Philippines as early as July after the Senate had ordered her arrest for skipping several hearings on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs.

She is also facing a complaint for qualified trafficking before the Department of Justice. Guo had been ordered dismissed as Bamban mayor for grave misconduct with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits as well as perpetual disqualification from public office.

Preliminary reports showed Guo exited through the backdoor, allegedly taking a boat to Sabah, Malaysia. From Malaysia, Guo reportedly traveled to Singapore before arriving in Indonesia.

At yesterday’s public hearing of the Senate committee on women, children and family affairs, which is investigating POGO-related crimes including scamming and human trafficking, Tansingco said he learned about his relief only from media posts.

“I received (the information of the relief) through the post from the media but I have not yet been officially informed about it,” Tansingco said.

He stressed that Guo did not pass through immigration when she left the country in July.

“We have reviewed the contents of her passport upon her arrival and found out that she has the same immigration stamps as her alleged sister Shiela,” Tansingco said. “No Philippine stamps were found in both passports, showing that they left the country illegally without undergoing regular immigration inspection.”

He remains optimistic that the upcoming hearings and investigation on Guo will shed light on issues such as how she left the country illegally. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Daphne Galvez, Rudy Santos