MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will probe the release of two foreigners who were arrested for operating an underground hospital in Clark, Pampanga, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.
"These two foreign nationals should have been brought to the inquest prosecutor instead of being released. If this is true, I will ask the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to step in and do its own investigation, and instruct the BI (Bureau of Immigration) to look out for them," Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a press statement.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) earlier identified the suspects as Hu Ling and Lee Seung Hyun, the supervisor and pharmacist of the facility, respectively. They were both released on the same day of their arrest.
Guevarra clarified that while a Supreme Court ruling has disallowed hold departure orders or watchlist orders previously being issued by the DOJ, it does not preclude the agency from issuing an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO), which he said "is a mere travel monitoring order".
"If the BI finds that the subject nationals have pending immigration or criminal cases, they may be stopped from leaving immediately," Guevarra said.
The hospital that was raided on May 19 exclusively treated Chinese workers afflicted with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The villa which operates the illegal facility is under the exclusive control of Shidaikeji Technology Corp. (STC), a “support service company to (a) POGO [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator],”
Authorities found seven beds, several trash bins full of syringes, medicines, and medical supplies during the raid. (PNA)
