The Bureau of Immigration is set to deport a German national who was arrested recently in Infanta, Quezon after hiding from authorities for over 17 years.
Joachim Heimrath was arrested last Jan. 23 at his house in Barangay Kumon for allegedly maltreating his five children. Further check revealed that he was the subject of a summary deportation order dated April 11, 1990 from the bureau.
Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Heimrath would be deported not only for being an undocumented alien, but also for being an undesirable foreigner who had violated laws on the protection and welfare of children, based on a complaint from the Southern Tagalog office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Lawyer Floro Balato Jr., the bureau’s spokesman, said DSWD officials in Infanta sought the bureau’s help in arresting Heimrath due to his alleged erratic behavior and harsh treatment of his five children.
Balato said Heimrath had forced his children, especially the two elder ones, aged 13 and 11, to become beggars to support the family.
DSWD officials reportedly offered educational assistance to Heimrath’s children but he allegedly turned it down, claiming he was personally teaching them in lieu of a formal education.
Infanta officials also reported that Heimrath appears to be mentally deranged, making him a menace to society.
They also expressed concern about the welfare of Heimrath’s children who roamed the streets even late at night to beg.
Police and local officials reportedly tried to get custody of Heimrath’s children sometime in 2005, but this was thwarted, as he demanded a court order or warrant. – Edu Punay