Immigration nets two foreign ‘pedos’

The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday reported that its operatives arrested two foreigners believed to be pedophiles who were wanted in their respective countries in separate operations.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the two fugitives as American John Tomas Minor, a 42-year-old American and Derek Gordon Heggie, a 40-year-old British national, who were arrested last Monday in operations conducted by the BI Fugitive Search Unit operatives in Cebu province.

According to the BI-FSU, Minor was arrested in a condominium unit at the Cebu Business Park in Cebu City, while Heggie was collared in a residential unit in Barangay Guadalupe, Bogo City.

It added that a mission order was issued for the arrest of the two foreigners due to the request of the US and British authorities, which informed the Immigration bureau of their criminal records as sex offenders.

Tansingco said that they will be deported after the BI's Board of Commissioners issues the orders for their summary deportation, after which their names will be included in the BI blacklist, preventing them from re-entering the country.

The BI Chief emphasized further that the Bureau should not permit these wanted sexual offenders to use our country as a haven to avoid capture and prosecution for crimes they committed in their country.

According to US authorities, Minor is the subject of an arrest warrant issued in May by a superior court in Spokane, Washington, where he was charged with raping and molesting a child.

Heggie, on the other hand, was convicted of sexual assault on 10 August 2005 and committed several other sex crimes, including raping a domestic partner in 2018 and an ex-partner in 2013, according to the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom.

He also allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a minor.

The UK authorities warned the BI that Heggie is known to be violent, with an extensive criminal history that includes different types of sexual abuse, damage to property, and possession of narcotic substances, among other grave offenses.

In the meantime, both foreigners are being held at the BI headquarters in Mandaue City until they are moved to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.