Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that Deputy Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado will act as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) following the termination of Commissioner Norman Tansingco.
“It is essential that we assure our people that the services of our immigration bureau will remain uninterrupted and consistent regardless of any transition in leadership. Hence, I entrust the stewardship of the bureau to Deputy Commissioner Viado, who I believe is best fit for the position,” Remulla told reporters on Tuesday.
He noted the designation will take effect immediately, and will remain until a permanent Commissioner is appointed by President Marcos.
The appointment was made in consideration of the BI’s crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s borders and ensuring the continuity of its services, he added.
Remulla pointed out that Viado, a lawyer, will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the bureau under his supervision.
The justice secretary also revealed that he personally recommended to Mr. Marcos the removal of Tansingco from the BI’s helm, citing his shortcomings as a leader.
He expressed his disappointment for the lack of action and failure of Tansingco to oversee and manage matters under his watch leading to various immigration concerns that have compromised national security.
Remulla said the replacement is crucial to uphold the trust and confidence of the Filipino people in the justice system and maintain the unwavering integrity of the ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ brand of governance.
“This has been a big problem for the longest time, we have not been lacking reminders to the [former] Immigration Commissioner about these problems,” the stressed.
It can be recalled that soon after disgraced ex-mayor Alice Guo’s escape was discovered, the DOJ chief hinted that he strongly suspected that certain immigration officials were complicit in letting her leave the country.
The DOJ chief said he cut communications with Tansingco after the latter failed to immediately inform him about Guo’s sudden disappearance.
For his part, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said, “Deputy Commissioner Viado, if I am not mistaken, he is the most senior [at the bureau] so, the appointment is just proper.”
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Remulla names Viado as OIC at Bureau of Immigration.”
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