Immigration agents accused of extorting P9 million from 15 arrested Koreans

Several agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) could face charges if proven that they extorted a total of P9 million from the 15 Korean nationals they arrested in Angeles City, Pampanga last March 6, according to a report by Marisol Abdurahman on GMA's 24 Oras.

In a letter sent to the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption(VACC), the Koreans said they were brought to the BI office in Intramuros, Manila and were threatened that they would be detained if they do not give the money.  They were later released after producing the P9 million.

They also sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission about the incident.

"May mga death threats, mga threats na ide-deport sila, guguluhin yung documents nila, yung visa nila. Ang masakit dito bakit hindi nila tuluyan, mag-file sila ng kaso  rito," Arsenio "Boy" Evangelista, VACC spokesperson said.

Evangelista added that this was not the first time BI agents extracted money from the foreign nationals.

"Sometime in June 2018, sa Ayala Alabang, naka-extract din sila ng P19 million, nanghingi pa ng P1 million, a total of P20 million," he said.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval confirmed that the agents in the video shown by GMA News were their men.  She also said that their mission order against the Koreans was official.

Sandoval said the bureau does not tolerate extortion activities of its agents.

"Iyong ganito na name-mention na nakikilan ang foreign national, of course we do not allow this, at kung totoo po ay talagang mananagot ang mga involved," she said.

"Ini-elevate po natin ito sa DOJ para makasuhan ng kasong administratibo," Sandoval added.

She said that complainants may also contact the bureau's hotline or send the information to its social media accounts. —LDF, GMA News