Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ramona Bautista is a Suspect

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Saturday that
immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have no
recourse but to allow Ramona Bautista, one of the suspects in the
killing of actor Ramgen "Ram" Bautista, to travel abroad.

David said the bureau's hands were tied when it allowed one of the
murder suspects, who was able to board an 8:20 p.m. Cathay Pacific Air
flight CX-902 to Hong Kong Friday evening.

"Pending the issuance of a hold departure order or a watch list order,
we have no authority to prevent her from leaving the country," David
said in a statement.

Under the rules of the Bureau of Immigration, a respondent/suspect in
a criminal case can only be prevented from leaving the country by a
hold departure order or a watch list issued by the courts or by the
Department of Justice.

On their part, BI-Airport Operations Division chief Lina Pelia said
despite Ramona's implication in the murder case, she was allowed to
leave for Hong Kong since there was no hold departure order issued
against her.

It was learned that Ramona presented her Philippine passport with no.
1106480 to the BI officer, whom Pelia did not identify for security
reason.

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