No indication BI personnel helped Harry Roque leave PH — spox

There is no indication that a personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) helped former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque leave the country, Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said Wednesday.

“Sa initial investigation po natin, wala pong indication,” Sandoval said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(There is no indication of this based on our initial investigation.)

Roque, who has been issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO), previously confirmed that he is out of the Philippines after he submitted a counter-affidavit that was notarized in Abu Dhabi.

The BI, however, believes that Roque left the country through illegal means as records show that Roque had no attempt to exit the country through formal channels.

Sandoval, however, said that more than one person may have helped Roque leave the country. 

“Hindi lang ito siguro isang facilitator or tumulong sa kanya, eh. Marami ito. It’s a concerted effort, kasi napakahirap pong mag set up ng ganyang pag alis... Maraming kailangan ikutan,” she said.

(We think more than one facilitator helped him. There’s many of them. It’s a concerted effort because it’s very difficult to set this up.)

Meanwhile, she said the bureau also believes that the country’s laws must be strengthened against individuals who leave the country through illegal means.

“Because there is no specific law that covers people, Filipinos, going out of the country. Walang punitive action ang Filipinos going out of the country illegally,” she said.

An Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) was issued against Roque back in August.

Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said an ILBO directs BI employees to inform law enforcement agencies regarding the whereabouts of the individuals named in the order.

“But their obligation is to inform the law enforcement agencies, specifically the government agency that asked for the issuance of the ILBO as to the movement or the whereabouts of the person,” he said in a separate dzBB interview.

Vasquez, however, stressed that the BI only has jurisdiction over official ports and international ports of entry.

“Ang malaking problema diyan ay ‘yung mga private hangers at saka private ports na pwedeng gagamitin din,” Vasquez said.  

(The problem there is that private hangers and private ports can be used.) 

According to Vasquez, Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado earlier told him that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has jurisdiction over private hangers.

“That’s one area that we need to improve our processes. Because this is the second time… si Alice Guo hindi natin alam baka ganyan din ginawa eh,” he said.

(We don’t know if Alice Guo did the same thing.)

—VAL, GMA Integrated News