DOJ reinstates ousted immigration exec

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reinstated the Bureau of Immigration (BI) official who was removed from his post following the controversial deportation of 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China in February last year, which triggered tension between Manila and Taipei.

In a memorandum obtained by The STAR yesterday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima directed BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. to reinstate lawyer Faizal Hussin as chief of the bureau’s intelligence division.

De Lima issued the order after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) declared last Oct. 25 that the transfer of Hussin from the BI to the DOJ certification division was “not in order.”

“Accordingly, the Bureau of Immigration is hereby directed to immediately implement the CSC Resolution and Department Order No. 988 dated Nov. 21, 2012,” stated the order signed by De Lima last Nov. 22 but sent to the BI on Nov. 28.

The DOJ chief stressed that her order was “for strict compliance,” but Hussin said David has refused to follow the order.

Hussin told The STAR that he went to David’s office but was not immediately allowed to return to his previous post for reason not cleared to him.

It can be recalled that De Lima ordered Hussin’s transfer to the DOJ and he was replaced by Antonette Mangrobang through Department Order Nos. 164 and 173 she issued in March last year.

De Lima said she was not satisfied with Hussin’s actions to curb operations of human trafficking syndicates in the country.

Hussin questioned his transfer before the CSC and got a favorable decision last February. The DOJ chief even filed an appeal, but the CSC stood firm in its ruling that the transfer was invalid.

De Lima argued that Hussin’s transfer to DOJ was “a valid personnel movement and does not amount to constructive dismissal.”

But the CSC, in the ruling penned by Commissioner Mary Ann Fernandez-Mendoza, junked the DOJ’s arguments.

“The Commission clearly ruled that Hussin’s appointment is station-specific at the Bureau of Immigration. Hence, he can be reassigned only within the offices of the bureau,” the CSC explained.

The commission further held that Hussin “should have been paid his RATA (Representation and Travel Allowance) when he was reassigned. The withholding of such allowance amounted to a reduction in his pay, thus, rendering his reassignment invalid,” it added.