Philippines' Justice Minister Jesus Crispin Remulla signed an order to remove Gilberto Repizo, the chairman of the Bureau of Immigration's Special Investigation Committee (BSI), from his position and reassign him to work at the headquarters of the Department of Justice.
This decision was announced less than a week after Repizo submitted a complaint letter accusing Joel Viado, the Director of the Bureau of Immigration, of harboring illegal foreigners and accepting bribes. Remulla stated that the decision to remove Repizo was based on "loss of trust and confidence," aiming to protect the integrity of the judicial system.
Repizo has refused to accept the reassignment and has filed a complaint with the Civil Service Commission, planning to seek justice through legal procedures. In a written statement on June 19, he claimed to defend his rights to due process under the civil service regulations.
According to reports from three major media outlets, Repizo accused Director Viado of accepting a bribe of 30 million pesos to delay the deportation process of three Chinese nationals involved in the gambling industry. Repizo also criticized the lack of transparency and procedural impropriety in the establishment of the Special Investigation Committee by the Department of Justice.
Subsequently, the Department of Justice appointed Ruben Casibang Jr. as the acting chairman to replace Repizo, emphasizing that Minister Remulla has the authority to oversee the Bureau of Immigration by law and characterized this personnel adjustment as based on "service needs."
The incident has sparked widespread public concern about corruption at the top levels of the Bureau of Immigration. The government stated that these actions are crucial measures to reform the system, restore the department's reputation, and enforce its effectiveness.
