The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has confirmed the deportation of an Indonesian national previously arrested in Bagac, Bataan, as part of a large-scale operation against illegal online gambling.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado announced that Handoyo Salman, 40, was deported on November 21 after being identified as a fugitive wanted in Indonesia.
Salman was among 42 foreign nationals apprehended by the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) during an October 31 raid targeting illegal online gambling operations.
Verification with Indonesian authorities revealed that Salman faced charges of violating information and electronic transaction laws, as well as money laundering. The BI Board of Commissioners ordered his deportation on grounds of undesirability as a fugitive.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Viado clarified the status of the 41 other foreign nationals arrested in the same operation. Responding to reports that the detainees had been released, Viado stressed that deportation proceedings are still ongoing.
"These individuals are still facing deportation cases on grounds of undesirability," said Viado.
"However, their physical custody has been transferred under recognizance to Bataan Representative Albert Garcia and their legal counsel,” he explained.
Representative Garcia, whose jurisdiction includes the area where the arrests were made, provided the legal guarantee for their custody. Viado emphasized that recognizance does not equate to freedom; the BI retains their passports and has included their names in the hold departure list to prevent them from fleeing the country.
Viado assured the public of the BI’s commitment to due process, in compliance with Malacañang’s directive.
