|
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Immigration arrests Tesda Australian consultant
AGENTS of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation arrested Friday an Australian national working with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) after it was confirmed that the subject only holds a tourist visa.
Immigration regional alien control officer Benjamin Lao said Raymond Gregory Powell was nabbed at 5 a.m. Friday in his rented house in Ladislawa Village, Buhangin district.
Powell's dubious status was brought to fore after he slapped a flight attendant of Philippine Airlines (PAL) last Saturday, an incident witnessed by First District Representative and House Majority Floor Leader Prospero C. Nograles.
Lao said the arrest came after Immigration Commissioner Allipio Fernandez issued a mission order against Powell after the latter was found to be working in the country illegally.
He said the Australian national would be brought to Manila for his deportation.
Powell was said to be a regular visitor here and has been the consultant of Tesda where he is project manager of Quality Education Technical and Training Project.
Lao said under the Philippine Immigration Law, a tourist visa holder is not allowed to practice his profession or engage in any business in the country.
He said a foreigner should apply for permanent residency visa in order to work or engage in business here.
Powell was placed under investigation after Nograles filed a complaint against him before the immigration office.
Nograles saw Powell slapping a PAL flight attendant with a newspaper while onboard the plane on Saturday afternoon.
Nograles was with his wife Rhodora on their way home in the Manila-Davao bound PAL Flight and were co-passengers of Powell.
In his handwritten complaint, Nograles said he saw Powell having an altercation with an unidentified flight attendant.
Nograles later heard the Australian call the flight attendant "idiot" and slapped her with the newspaper he was holding in front of many passengers aboard the aircraft.
"I request that he be removed from the Philippines after due process with all legal means available," he said in his handwritten complaint. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (December 10, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
