Ex-PCSO execs barred from leaving the country

TWO former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) have been barred from leaving the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday.

Rosario Uriarte and Manuel Garcia, the PCSO's general manager and its ads and promotions manager, respectively, were placed on watchlist, disallowing them from flying out of the country without travel clearance from Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

These were contained in a directive issued by BI acting associate commissioner Abdullah Mangotara that was distributed to all immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and all ports in the country.

The order was signed on July 7 and is valid for 60 days unless revoked or extended by the department.

"Let a copy of this Order be furnished to the Chief, Airport Operations Division, Head Supervisors of BI -- NAIA I, II, III (all other airports), Computer section for their information and appropriate action," the order said.

Uriarte and Garcia were involved in the alleged illegal disbursement of funds worth P325 million to former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her intelligence funds between 2008 and 2010.

They have been disallowed from leaving country in connection with the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation on the anomalies. (FP/Sunnex)