BI department chief sacked; official defies order

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration yesterday implemented the order of Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla to relieve lawyer Gilberto Repizo as head of the BI Board of Special Inquiry.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement that the BI received Department Order 435, which ordered Repizo’s relief and designated Ruben Casibang Jr. as new chief, on June 19.

“The same has been implemented on the same date. The office remains committed to upholding the directives of the Department of Justice in the interest of public service and national security,” the BI said.

Repizo, however, refused to comply with the order, saying he would challenge the directive before the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

“Please be informed that, without meaning disrespect to your honorable office, I cannot as of now comply with the directives as I intend to elevate the matter to the (CSC),” his letter read.

Repizo cited Section 4 of CSC Resolution 1800692 or the 2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointment and other Human Resource Actions, which allows government personnel who are subject of appointment or reassignment to seek remedies before the CSC.

Repizo’s replacement came amid reports that he executed a four-page letter accusing Viado of corruption, sitting on several deportation cases, hasty release of three Chinese nationals involved in illegal POGO in exchange for bribe money and supposedly allowing various corrupt activities within the BI.

Prior to media reports about Repizo’s letter, a group of “concerned BI employees” also circulated a “white paper” accusing Viado of corruption.

Malacañang earlier ordered an investigation on the alleged corruption in the bureau.