Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jul 2004
Source: Manila Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004, The Manila Times
Contact:  http://www.manilatimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921
Author: Jomar Canlas, Correspondent

AGENTS WANT BI OFFICIAL IN CHINESE CASE RELIEVED

THREE agents of Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday asked the Department of 
Justice to suspend a ranking immigration official who is under 
investigation for allegedly securing the release of an illegal alien 
reportedly running an illegal drug trade in the country.

In a six-page position paper immigration intelligence officers Ansari 
Macaayan, Maclin Lanto and Andrian Amangondato asked Acting Justice 
Secretary Maria Merceditas Gutierrez to suspend Associate Commissioner 
Teodoro Delarmente while an investigation is being conducted against him.

The three agents were the ones who nabbed Chinese Li Yong-cheng, a 
suspected illegal drug trader, on June 26.

"We pray that pending investigation, Associate Commissioner Delarmente be 
relieved of his function as associate commissioner for intelligence. His 
actions of harboring and ordering the release of an illegal alien, who is 
suspected of being a drug trafficker, is illegal and highly irregular," 
said a part of the agents' position paper.

The agents said Delarmente scolded them for apprehending Li on a Saturday, 
and without a mission order, before he ordered the Chinese's release. The 
agents pointed out that this was not the first time that Delarmente became 
aware of an arrest made by bureau's agents, particularly Macaayan, on a 
Saturday and without a mission order. The previous arrest made without a 
mission order happened on June 19, 2004, when four Indians were nabbed.

The three agents said it was highly questionable why Delar-mente did not 
question the arrest, but acted differently when Li was arrested under the 
same circumstances.

The three agents maintained that the arrest of Li was within the parameters 
of immigration laws since the Chinese was in continuous violation of the 
country's laws.

The justice department had already ordered Immigration Commissioner Alipio 
Fernandez Jr. on July 9, 2004, to investigate allegations that Delarmente 
had committed an irregularity when he asked for the release of the 
undocumented Li.

Before his arrest, Li had been placed under a month-long surveillance owing 
to a police report that he was operating an electrical supply shop in 
Caloocan City as a front for illegal activities. The immigration agents 
arrested him after he failed to produce personal documents and his passport 
was found to have expired in 2002 yet.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart