The Bureau of Immigration has detained an overstaying Korean national who allegedly lured several Filipinas employed as bar girls in a nightclub in Mindanao which he owned into prostitution.
BI Intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. identified the Korean as Suc Joo Chang, alias “Seok Choi,” who was arrested last June 13 by operatives of the BI Mindanao Intelligence Task Group in General Santos City, South Cotabato.
Manahan said the BI agents arrested Chang through a mission order from Immigration Commissioner Jaime
Morente who learned that the alien was charged with human trafficking following a police raid in his nightclub.
The raid reportedly resulted into the rescue of 22 women who were employed as bar girls and were allegedly made to dance in the nude and perform lewd acts onstage before customers.
Chang is detained at the BI holding facility in Davao City.
Morente ordered the initiation of deportation proceedings against the Korean for overstaying and being an undesirable alien.
It was learned that Chang failed to extend his stay in the country since his tourist visa expired last Jan. 19.
Morente, however, stressed that the Korean’s possible deportation will not yet be implemented while waiting for the resolution of his pending criminal case.
“If convicted, he will have to serve his sentence first before we can deport him. Afterwards, we will place him in our blacklist to prevent him from returning to the Philippines,” the BI chief said. (Jun Ramirez)