Jinggoy wants BI 'scalawags' probed

OPPOSITION leader Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday declared he would push for an investigation of officials of the Bureau of Immigration whose alleged extortion of Korean nationals in the country forced the Korean embassy in Manila to suspend accepting applications for working visas from outbound Filipinos.

"If I still retain the chairmanship of the Senate committee on labor in this 14th Congress, I will directly initiate the investigation of this issue with regards to the corruption activities of the members of the Bureau of Immigration," Estrada said.

Estrada also thanked the officials of the Korean embassy for their decision to lift the suspension starting Wednesday.

"I would like to thank South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines , H.E. Jong Ki Hong, for lifting the suspension on the visa applications of our Filipino workers who aspire for employment in South Korea ," Estrada said.

"I think that the embassy's action was a retaliation to the alleged extortion activities by elements of the BI. With regards to the planned investigation, no names yet at this moment, but these alleged extortionists will eventually be unmasked and probed. Siguro, we will summon the chief of the BI to make him explain before the committee why a lot of elements of the agency are allegedly involved in extortion activities," Estrada added.