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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Castro ‘hired me to process documents, collect fees’
A person who is not an employee of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) 7 and is not accountable to the government was allegedly tasked by Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro to process public documents and collect fees for the bureau, without any authority.
Normi D. Mante, nicknamed Gingging, also allegedly collected notarial fees for Castro, from P200 per document a few months ago to P75 at present.
Mante allegedly subscribed immigration documents in behalf of Castro, using only a rubber stamp.
Castro denied the allegations.
BI 7 Director Geronimo Rosas refused to comment on the matter unless there is a complaint and evidence.
Rosas’ subordinates, however, said that the BI 7 chief questioned Mante when he caught her processing public documents.
Mante had filed charges of conduct unbecoming of a public official against Rosas before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Records showed that Rosas has answered the charges and Mante filed a sworn reply, in which she said she is a support staff of Castro, working from Monday to Friday, while Castro works at BI 7 for three days a week.
An immigration officer said their policy is clear that once an alien control registration (ACR) is approved, the hearing officer hands over the folder to the applicant for him to process it himself.
But in Castro’s case, Mante is allegedly the one who processes the ACR and makes the follow-up.
Mante allegedly asked for P7,500 per transaction, when the official fee is only P5,600.
Lawyer Serafin Abellon of the BI 7 legal division confirmed the presence of Mante at Castro’s office every day, but he said he does not know what she is doing there.
Castro, in addition to her job as assistant prosecutor at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, has been designated by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to assist Rosas on administrative cases only.
However, Castro allegedly accepts visa applications and conducts hearings. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 22, 2006 issue)
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