DOJ issues lookout order vs British school execs

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a lookout bulletin order against the executives of British School Manila (BSM) who are facing criminal and civil suits over the suicide of 18-year-old student Laim Madamba last year.

In a four-page order released yesterday, acting DOJ Secretary Emmanuel Caparas issued the lookout order against 16 BSM officials, led by school head Simon Mann, to prevent their flight while undergoing preliminary investigation on charges of obstruction of justice filed by Madamba’s mother Trixie.

The DOJ directed the Bureau of Immigration to implement the order.

Apart from Mann, other BSM executives covered by the lookout order are Trevor Lewis, Brendan Egan, Martyn Turner, Bill Twedell, Simon Bewley, Etein Melsbo, Bart Edes, Pul Ingram, Alison Doig Henderson, Andrew Logan, Alan Hearn, Anne Haslam, David Gold, Angel Guerrero and Catherine Tantoco-Daniels.

Caparas issued the lookout order based on the recommendation of Prosecutor Ma. Caren Gail de Alban-Avila.

The prosecutor summoned the respondents to a hearing in January but they did not appear and asked for more time to answer the charges.

Madamba, a top-notch BSM student, jumped from the sixth floor of a car park in Makati City in February 2015 after he was accused by his teacher, Natalie Mann, of plagiarism.