MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros has raised concerns over the alleged escape of a South Korean fugitive from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention center, questioning whether it was a mere breakout or a deliberate act of facilitation.

“Mainit-init pa po ang balita. We have received credible information from sources na nakatakas umano itong pugante kahapon lang, habang papunta siya sa hearing niya sa Quezon City. Is this true? Kung totoo, ang tanong: Nakatakas nga lang ba o pinatakas? At the very least, this is gross negligence on the part of the BI,” Hontiveros said.

She called on law enforcement agencies to take swift action, stressing that criminals should not be allowed to roam freely in the country.

The fugitive, identified as Na Ikhyeon, was arrested in Clark, Pampanga, in 2023 for assuming a false Filipino identity. Authorities later discovered that he was wanted in South Korea for involvement in large-scale fraud cases.

Hontiveros linked the escape to broader issues surrounding the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry, noting that many individuals engaged in illegal activities disguise themselves as Filipinos.

“Our Senate Committee on Women hearings showed that a lot of POGO actors also pretend to be Filipinos, kaya hindi ako magugulat kung itong pugante ay involved din sa POGO. Marami ding mga taga-POGO ay kasali sa mga fraud o scamming operations, kaya malamang may koneksyon din siya sa mga scam hubs dito sa bansa,” the senator said.

She also expressed disappointment over the BI’s continued lapses, citing the Senate Subcommittee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, where it was revealed that three Chinese POGO bosses—Lyu Xun, Kong Xiangrui, and Wang Shangle—who were ordered deported, never actually arrived in China.

“Hindi alam ng BI na hindi nakarating sa China ang dineport nilang tatlong Chinese POGO bosses, hindi alam paano nakatakas si Alice Guo, at ngayon, huwag nilang sabihin hindi na naman nila alam paano nakatakas itong Koreanong pugante,” she said.

Hontiveros slammed the BI’s failure to track high-profile fugitives, contrasting their supposed inefficiency with the strict scrutiny that ordinary Filipinos face at immigration counters.

“The bureau’s seeming — or deliberate — ignorance is astounding. Habang ang mga Pilipino hirap na hirap makalusot sa immigration counters, itong mga dayuhang pugante parang ang bilis na lang makawala. The BI has to seriously clean up its ranks. Kung hindi, patuloy tayong mapapasukan ng mga pugante’t kriminal,” she warned.

📷 Senate of the Philippines