CEBU, Philippines - A lawyer of the Bureau of Immigration in Mandaue City was dismissed from service for extorting from a tourist who applied for visa extension in 2013.
Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Immigration Legal Officer II Serafin Abellon on the anti-graft’s decision that found him guilty of grave misconduct.
The complainant, James Mercier, claimed that the immigration officer demanded P25,000 from him so that his application for tourist visa extension would be processed.
Mercier said that since his visa would expire on May 27, 2013, he was forced to heed the demand and gave an initial P5,000 on May 06, 2013 and another P10,000 on May 16, 2013.
He eventually decided to seek the help of the National Bureau of Investigation, which hatched an operation that resulted to Abellon’s arrest on May 24, 2013.
The NBI agents recovered the marked P12,000 from Abellon.
The amount needed for the renewal of Mercier’s visa was only P3,030, as revealed by the BID special collecting officer.
The anti-graft office gave no credence to Abellon’s plea for leniency on account of his 40 years of government service and explained that dismissal from the service is an indivisible penalty, which is imposable even on the first offense.
Aside from dismissal, the Ombudsman also cancelled Abellon’s civil service eligibility, forfeited his retirement benefits, and disqualified him perpetually from holding public office.
The immigration regional director has been ordered to implement the order.
Source: Freeman News - June 11, 2015
Contributor's Comment:
Good...........in 2007 I started my application for my visa as a 13 QUOTA VISA. My Atty (who has representing me now for over 20 years now) contacted Abellon in Cebu if there was still a slot for me as every country gets 50 approved per............well it was back then. Abellon told us don't worry I will secure a slot for him but I need 150,000 pesos. My Atty smelled a rat and contacted Immigration in Manila...........From then on we dealt directly with the Manila Immigration..........All up costs including the quarantine clearance, health checks etc, the registering a corporation, airfares and accommodation in Manila Atty's fee's, the NBI clearance. The total cost about 90,000 pesos.
The reason I had to register a Corporation was to support my application to the Immigration Officer in Manila. As I was on a tourist visa single.......during the interview the officer asked me why I wanted a permanent visa for???? My answer was........ I am here as an Investor not a tourist. Proof from the Equitable bank on financing. The Imm officer told me to come back in 3 days time if the head of Immigration will approve and leave your passport. Came back in 3 days and all was sweet.........new visa..........woohoo
So Abellon deserves everything he gets...........asshole
No comments:
Post a Comment