đź“·Sacked Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sacked Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco weeks after former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo escaped the country, Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said on Monday, September 9.
Chavez made the confirmation through a Viber message after Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told the president that Tansingco should be replaced amid current investigations into how Guo got out of the country without being caught.
Chavez stated in a text message on Monday afternoon, September 9, that Marcos agreed with Remulla’s suggestion that a new BI commissioner be replaced.
“His dismissal has already been approved by the president,” Chavez said, without mentioning who will be replacing Tansingco from his post.
Chavez also stated that Tansingco’s dismissal had something to do with Guo’s escape.
Remulla, in a separate interview, said that Marcos and he have reached an agreement that Tansingco will be removed from his post.
The Justice Secretary said that he was “not satisfied” with the Immigration official’s work and that they had a lot of problems when asked why he suggested Tansingco be replaced.
“If I were him, I’d just resign already. Mag-resign na lang siya,” Remulla said.
Last week, Remulla said he was no longer on speaking terms with Tansingco because the head of immigration didn’t tell the Department of Justice right away that Guo fled the country after she was removed from her post as a local official.
Tansingco, for his part, said that he has not been officially told that he has been fired.
During the hearing of the Senate committee on women on Monday, Tansingco said that he only found out about the rumored move to fire him from his job through the news.
When asked if he knew of a plan to replace him as head of the BI, Tansingco said again that he only knew that he was fired through the news he read on social media.
“Na-receive ko na po through the posts sa media but I have not yet been officially informed, Your Honor,” Tansingco told Sen. Francis Tolentino.
“You’re not informed that you’re being relieved or being transferred to another post? So wala?” Tolentino asked again.
“Not yet, Your Honor,” the BI chief replied.
In July, Guo left the country after the Senate ordered her arrest for not showing up to the probe into her ties to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
Guo was arrested in Jakarta on September 4 and is being held at the Philippine National Police detention center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, at the moment. (TCSP)
