Solons commend immigration bureau

Senators Noli "Kabayan" de Castro and Blas Ople commended yesterday Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo for immediately ordering the arrest of four Syrians, including an honorary consul general, who allegedly mauled an ABS-CBN crew in Pampanga Tuesday.

De Castro, chairman of the Senate committee on tourism, said Domingo’s prompt action will pave the way for the immediate resolution of the criminal complaint of the ABS-CBN crew against Syrians Galem Madame, Mohd Jouma, Fawaz Habar Kozma and Mohammad Issam El-Debs, the honorary consul.

Ople said the Syrians deserve to be deported because the attack was unprovoked. He said that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should also move in and declare the honorary consul general persona non grata.

"Let us not be wimps in our own country. If these foreigners violated the law and abused innocent civilians, then they must be deported," he said.

Ople and De Castro also advised the television crew not to settle for apologies that might be offered by the Syrians. The Syrian honorary consul general has reportedly offered a compromise settlement with the TV network.

"The BI and DFA should protect the dignity of all Filipinos by upholding the law against abusive foreigners," Ople said.

"Agreeing to a settlement will only show that we can be abused by foreigners right in our own country," De Castro said. — Efren Danao