Pubdate: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 Source: Manila Times (Philippines) Copyright: 2004, The Manila Times Contact: http://www.manilatimes.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) CORRUPTION RAPS ROCK BI Corruption has reared its ugly head at the Bureau of Immigration. And the beans were spilled by four ranking officials of the bureau itself as they accused each other of extortion. Last week, Associate Commissioner Teodoro Delarmente accused Faizal Hussin, chief of the bureau's intelligence division, and his men of extorting money from Li Yong Cheng, a suspected Chinese drug lord. Hussin, on the other hand, accused Delarmente as Li's protector for ordering his release. Meanwhile Eleuterio Balina of the bureau's law division named Felino Quirante Jr., chief of the bureau's personnel division, as the alleged protector of an extortion syndicate victimizing aliens who run afoul of immigration laws. Quirante, as chief administrative officer, headed the four-man fact-finding committee, which recommended the 90-day suspension of Balina and approved by Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. The Quirante committee was formed after Sen. Pete Reyes of Saipan delivered a privileged speech accusing Balina and a certain Fe Valois-Banzuela of extorting P820,000 from four Saipan residents. But Balina said that he has all the documents and evidence to prove and substantiate his charges against Quirante. "I will unmask the real extortionists and reveal irregularities in the bureau at a proper time and forum," Balina said. "I am not yet through. There will be no escape for them." On August 22, 2002, Balina and another lawyer of the bureau, Reynan Perez, also questioned the promotion of nine immigration lawyers, who, they said, "did not even pass the original prerequisite and permanent appointment." In protesting the promotions, the two lawyers told the Civil Service Commission: "This anomaly-nay-illegality-was perpetrated through the connivance of [the lawyer] Felino C. Quirante, administrative officer; [the lawyer] Benjamin Kalaw, acting chief, law and investigation division; and the other members of the promotion board who were designated/promoted to their respective positions, fortunately unprotected, although they themselves did not rise from the ranks." At the same time, Balina, in a two-page letter to the commissioner, moved for the dismissal of the extortion case filed against him, saying that it was "baseless and malicious." Balina averred he was charged and suspended on the basis of a questionable affidavit notarized by a nonlawyer, who signed in behalf of a notary public, whose office could be found "under an acacia tree in front of the immigration building in Intramuros." The affidavit was signed by a certain Edna Carbonell, whom Balina maintained he never met or talked with. It does not state the affiant's other personal circumstances, including her present address. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin