The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday deported 49 South Korean fugitives through Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, the largest group expelled since 2017.
The fugitives, composed of 43 men and six women, were placed on a chartered flight to Incheon, escorted by Philippine and South Korean authorities.
In 2017, the BI deported 47 Koreans, making Wednesday’s operation the biggest of its kind in recent years.
Most of those deported were facing charges of fraud, embezzlement, illegal gambling, and large-scale online scams in South Korea.
Among them was 36-year-old Choi Hojun, arrested in Pampanga last April and accused of being the mastermind of a phishing syndicate that transferred KRW 1.7 billion from nearly 200 victims.
Meanwhile, 42-year-old Han Jonghoon, was arrested in San Juan City last July for allegedly operating 23 illegal gambling sites that earned more than KRW 2 trillion.
BI Commissioner Joel Viado said some fugitives had been in custody for years, with the earliest arrest dating back to February 2018.
He explained that deportation proceedings are sometimes held up because pending criminal cases in the Philippines automatically suspend expulsion.
The BI chief also raised concern over what he called the “demanda-me” or “file-me” scheme.
“The demand of the case… the purpose of that is not to be deported,” Viado said.
He emphasized that some foreigners cause cases to be filed against them in order to delay removal.
The BI is working with the Department of Justice to determine if such cases are legitimate or frivolous. All 49 have been flagged by BI as undesirable aliens and have been added to the blacklist.
The BI Commissioner emphasized that Philippines will not be a safe haven for fugitives
Viado added that the BI expects more deportations soon, with around 20 from South Korea and a separate batch for those from other countries.