Negosyante gitulis; nawad-a'g P70 mil

A ranking police official has denied his involvement in human trafficking activities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) following reports that he had illegally escorted to the immigration counter at the airport four passengers with incomplete travel documents.

In a two-page letter sent to The STAR, Superintendent Jose Victor Bantigue, a technical assistant at the Bureau of Immigration, said he was at NAIA on May 20 to verify the arrival and departure of an alleged member of  the Japanese Yakuza syndicate identified as Tadao Chiyoda, who had escaped from the BI detention center in Bicutan, Taguig.

Bantigue, who was once assigned at the Manila Police District (MPD), said it was while he was at the airport when one Myrna Joson, a representative of Ocean Seven International Placement Agency, called him up to assist four Filipino passengers to the immigration counter. He added he was able to locate the four and verified that their papers were in order and with valid visas for Taipei.

“It was then that a certain member of the Task Force on Human Trafficking by the name of Ricardo Lim entered the scene and insisted that the four passengers lack (overseas employment certificates),” Bantigue said in his letter.

He added that Lim immediately offloaded the four before he can advise them to secure the said document from the Labor Assistance Center at the NAIA.

“As such, there was no intention from me to secure their departure illegally and did not use my position for any illegal purposes,” he stated in his letter.

Bantigue also enclosed the travel documents of the four Filipinos.

In a report to Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) asistant general manager for security and emergency services Angel Atutubo and Airport Police Department chief Superintendent Francisco Dino, Police Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Captain Alden Gay said Bantigue was caught facilitating the exit of four Filipinos bound for Taipei.

Gay said the passengers were allowed to pass the immigration counter at NAIA Terminal 1 even without OECs. He also said Bantigue was caught on tape by closed circuit television cameras.     — Nestor Etolle