The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed Wednesday that there has been no recorded departure of John Paul Estrada, the former aide of resigned Congressman Zaldy Co.

The confirmation follows claims made by former Congressman Mike Defensor alleging that Estrada and his wife had been flown to Chile.

“Upon initial verification, we have found no record of any departure incident involving the individual in question. Nonetheless, we are conducting a thorough review of the matter and will submit our findings to the DOJ and other concerned authorities,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

During the second day of the INC rally on Monday, 17 November, Defensor alleged that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had beaten and unlawfully detained Estrada before being sent to Chile.

“But I have good news for you, we already have them (Estrada and his wife),” Defensor further added.

The NBI earlier denied the accusations made by Defensor.

“These allegations are unfounded, unsupported by evidence, and purely speculative. No complaint, report, or medical record exists showing that Mr. Estrada or his wife suffered physical harm. There is no record of their custody under the NBI,” the bureau said in a statement on Monday.

They also called on Defensor to “present verifiable evidence, and not hearsay.”