THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee yesterday terminated its inquiry into the alleged human smuggling activities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) carried out via chartered flights as panel chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino identified the “mystery man” involved in the February 13 incident that was the subject of a privilege speech of Sen. Grace Poe.
Tolentino said the panel has gathered all the information it needs to craft measures to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Before closing the investigation, Tolentino identified the anonymous agent as one Jeff Pinpin, an officer of the Bureau of Immigration assigned at the NAIA.
Pinpin, who was present during yesterday’s hearing, was the agent who supposedly escorted seven foreign passengers to a Dubai-bound private plane last February 13. The chartered flight was able to leave without undergoing the required pre-departure inspection, according to Poe.
Tolentino said Pinpin was off duty on the night of February 13 but was at the NAIA for still unknown reasons.
Under interrogation, Pinpin told senators he was “relieved” on February 9 but continued to report for duty because he was still waiting to be properly replaced by another BI agent.
But Tolentino said Pinpin should have stopped coming to NAIA for official purposes after his relief became effective since he has no more business in the airport grounds.
“So na relieve ka? So inamin mo na relieved ka na? You now give discretion to the appointing, designating authority kung sino ‘yung kapalit mo di ba? Na relieve ka na, bakante na iyon, wala ka na dapat doon (So, you were already relieved? You admit that you were already relieved. You have now given discretion to the appointing, designating authority to name your replacement? You were relieved, your post is vacant, you should not have been there),” Tolentino said.
The committee chairman said Pinpin can be charged for violation of Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code which states that any person who falsely represent himself/herself to be an officer, agent, or representative of any department and “who under the pretense of official position shall perform any act pertaining to any person in authority” shall suffer the penalty of prison correccional in its minimum and medium periods.
Tolentino said it was clearly established that Pinpin had another purpose for coming to the NAIA grounds on February 13, which was apparently to escort the foreign passengers of the private plane bound for Dubai.
Poe had delivered a speech blasting the Bureau of Immigration and the NAIA leaderships for allowing private planes to leave without undergoing pre-departure inspections, paving the way for unscrupulous individuals and groups to use chartered flights to smuggle people out of the country.
