This, even as the chairman of the House Committee on Good Government said he had found baseless all reports that Wang had been involved in briberies in the immigration bureau and even Congress.
In a press conference during the 75th anniversary of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) here, Mison noted, however, that the House committee, headed by Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, has yet to finish its probe on reports that Bo had funded bribes for some congressmen to support the administration-backed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
Wang, 31, is wanted by Interpol and the Chinese government for allegedly embezzling $100 million. He has been detained at the BI jail in Taguig City since his arrest on Feb. 10 upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Malaysia. The Chinese Embassy said his passport had been cancelled.
Wang was listed as a fugitive in May 2014 and was declared wanted for arrest by the People’s Procuratorate of Juisan Nongken in China in July 2014 for operating an illegal business in the Philippines.
But Rodriguez, who was guest during the anniversary rites, told Punto he found the bribery report involving BI officials and members of Congress as baseless.
His committee is set to hold its third and final hearing on the case on July 7, the day before NBI winds up its investigation on allegations that Wang had also bribed BI officials to prevent his deportation.
In his speech during the BI anniversary program, Rodriguez virtually exonerated Mison and other officials of the BI from allegations that they received bribes from Wang, as he extolled the curbing of massive corruption in the bureau under Mison.
“I will not waver in my belief that you (Mison) will always be a serious partner in (Pres. Aquino’s) tuwid na daan,” he said.
Mison said that while Wang could be deported as soon as the NBI winds up its probe on July 8, the Chinese fugitive would continue to be held at the BI detention center until all Philippine cases involving him have been resolved.
Associate BI Commissioner Gilberto Repizo earlier blamed Mison for the Wang controversy, saying Mison had bent policy and ordered immigration officers at the airport to allow Wang to enter the country.
Mison said he had initially wanted Wang to be prosecuted in the Philippines where the fugitive was reportedly running a local illegal gambling network.
He said Associate Commissioners Abdullah Mangotara and Gilbert Repizo had convinced him on this.
During the BI anniversary rites, however, Mison expressed favoring Wang’s deportation as soon as the cases against the Chinese have all been resolved.
Rodriguez criticized the apparently lack of BI policy on foreigners such as Wang, saying there should be a fixed period within which to deport them.
There are reports, however, that Wang is also facing an estafa case before a Philippine court.
