Ombuds denies motion of former BI-7 director

CEBU, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas denied the motion for reconsideration filed by former Bureau of Immigration regional director Geronimo Rosas and former BI-7 security guards Elmer Napilot and Ramon Ugarte.

This after the Ombudsman found the documents submitted by the respondents to be insufficient.

Earlier, Rosas had filed a motion for reconsideration to the Ombudsman resolu-tion finding probable against him for violating Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 for allow-ing the entry of two Iranian nationals with fake passports.     

The two Iranians stayed in the country for eight days and were allowed to leave for Japan, where it was discovered that they were using fake passports.   

In their motion filed in February 2008, the respondents relied on two grounds: that the new evidence that was discovered would affect the decision, and that errors of facts have been committed that are prejudicial to the interest of the respondents.

But Graft Investigator Nelia Lagura said the documents were insufficient to re-verse the decision.

"His having released the two Iranians nationals, who made a mockery of our Immigration Bureau by successfully entering and exiting the Philippines using false passports which were readily recognize as such by the Japanese authorities, amounted to a voluntary and conscious disregard of our Immigration Laws," Lagura said. (FREEMAN)