The Bureau of Immigration (BI) urged lawmakers to address the “sue me” scheme being used by arrested foreign "fugitives" to stop their immediate deportation.

In several cases, arrested foreign "fugitives" could not be deported immediately because of pending criminal cases either in the prosecutors' offices or in the courts.

Some of the criminal charges filed against foreign "fugitives' were found to have been "arranged" by them with the complainants. 

“We need Congress to step in and introduce laws that prevent these delaying maneuvers,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said on Tuesday, March 18. 

“Without clear legal safeguards, we will continue to see fugitives manipulating the system,” he warned.

Viado aired the appeal following the re-arrest in Angeles City last March 9 of South Korean fugitive Na Ikhyeon who escaped from BI custody in Quezon City last March 4.

He said that Ikhyeon, who is wanted in South Korea for investment fraud, is facing before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office an estafa case that has delayed the fugitive’s deportation.

“If this goes unaddressed, then every fugitive will simply employ this scheme to delay their deportation once arrested,” he pointed out.

In the meantime, Viado said the BI has been working closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and the Supreme Court (SC) to address the problem.

Despite these coordinations, he expressed belief that legislative action is needed to establish clear and permanent prohibitions against these tactics.

“Handa po kaming makipagtulungan sa ating mga mambabatas upang mapabuti at mapatatag ang ating immigration laws (We are ready to help our lawmakers in improving and strengthening our immigration laws),” he assured. 

“Kailangang tiyakin natin na walang makakagamit ng ating sistema para sa kanilang pansariling interes (We need to ensure that our system can’t be used for their self-interest),” he pointed out.