Hontiveros: Senate to probe BI officials’ complicity in Korean fugitive’s escape

The Senate will look into the alleged complicity of a Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials in the escape of a high-profile South Korean fugitive, Senator Risa Hontiveros said. 

Hontiveros made the announcement on Monday, March 10, 2025 following the reported rearrest of the said Korean fugitive and the immediate dismissal of the BI personnel involved in the escape.

BI Commissioner Joel Viado said criminal complaints have been filed against the immigration official before the Department of Justice (DOJ) after close circuit television (CCTV) footage and testimonies implied possible collusion. 

“Kumpirmado nga ang CCTV: hindi lang basta nakatakas ang puganteng Koreano mula sa Bureau of Immigration, sadya siyang pinatakas (CCTV has confirmed: the Korean fugitive didn’t just escape from the Bureau of Immigration, he was deliberately allowed to go),” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Kahit naaresto na siya ulit, nakakabahala na kung hindi pa pala natin isiniwalat sa publiko ang impormasyon ng pagtakas nitong pugante ay baka hindi pa nagkaroon ng manhunt (Even though he has been arrested again, it is disconcerting to know that if we had not disclosed the information about this fugitive’s escape to the public, there might not have been a manhunt),” the lawmaker pointed out.

The senator said this shows the symptomatic of the failures and offenses of the BI in handling erring foreign nationals. 

“Mukhang hindi mawala-wala ang kultura ng korapsyon sa ahensya (It seems that the culture of corruption in the agency will not go away anytime soon),” she said.

“We will pursue this at the next sub-committee hearing. Ipapa-subpoena ko ang mga CCTV footage, kasama na ang CCTV sa loob ng Pegasus, dahil posibleng doon nagkaroon ng transaksyon (We will pursue this at the next sub-committee hearing. I will subpoena the CCTV footage, including the CCTV inside Pegasus, because it is possible that a transaction took place there),” Hontiveros said.

In the meantine, she said, Commissioner Viado should ensure that BI officials involved in this shameful incident be imposed the strictest penalties, including criminal liability under Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code.

“Magkaroon naman sana ng konting hiya itong mga kawani ng gobyerno (These government employees should have a little shame),” she stressed. 

Earlier, Hontiveros raised the alarm over reports that Na Ikhyeon, a South Korean national who was nabbed in Clark, Pampanga in 2023 for assuming a false Filipino identity, was able to escape the BI detention center. 

Later, it was found that he was also wanted in South Korea for his participation in large-scale fraud cases. 

“Our Senate Committee on Women hearings showed that a lot of POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) actors also pretend to be Filipinos, kaya hindi ako magugulat kung itong pugante ay involved din sa (that’s why I won’t be surprised if this fugitive is also involved in) POGO,” she said.

“Marami ding mga taga-POGO ay kasali sa mga fraud o scamming operations, kaya malamang may koneksyon din siya sa mga scam hubs dito sa bansa (There are many POGO actors that are involved in fraud or scamming operations, that’s why it’s likely he has connections to scam hubs here in the country),” the senator further said, as she also expressed disappointment over the BI's constant dereliction of duty.

She earlier scored the BI during the recent Senate Subcommittee on Justice and Human Rights where it was found out that the BI did not even know that three Chinese POGO bosses — Lyu Xun, Kong Xiangrui and Wang Shangle — who were ordered for deportation did not actually arrive in China. 

Moreover, the BI allegedly allowed these deportees to shoulder their own plane tickets. 

On top of this, Hontiveros also criticized the BI for saying it is still clueless on how dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo was able to escape the country. 

“Hindi alam ng BI na hindi nakarating sa China ang dineport nilang tatlong Chinese POGO bosses, hindi alam paano nakatakas si Alice Guo, at ngayon, huwag nilang sabihin hindi na naman nila alam paano nakatakas itong Koreanong pugante (The BI doesn't know that the three Chinese POGO bosses they deported never made it to China, doesn't know how Alice Guo escaped, and now, they shouldn’t say they don't know how this Korean fugitive escaped),” Hontiveros said.

“The Bureau’s seeming — or deliberate — ignorance is astounding. Habang ang mga Pilipino hirap na hirap makalusot sa immigration counters, itong mga dayuhang pugante parang ang bilis nalang makawala (While Filipinos struggle to get through immigration counters, these foreign fugitives seem to be able to escape quickly),” she stressed.

“The BI has to seriously clean up its ranks. Kung hindi, patuloy tayong mapapasukan ng mga pugante’t kriminal (Otherwise, we will continue to be invaded by fugitives and criminals),” she warned.