The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced its readiness to coordinate with the Sandiganbayan if Senator Rodante Marcoleta and three other individuals attempt to depart the country following the issuance of a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against them.
BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval confirmed via a Viber message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the bureau has officially received the anti-graft court’s directive.
“We were able to secure a copy of the release of the Sandiganbayan,” Sandoval said. “The BI is aware of this PHDO and will be able to verify it with the issuing authority if subjects are encountered at any international port.”
Sandoval further disclosed that a review of immigration logs shows no recent international travel for any of the four individuals subject to the restriction.
The development follows the Sandiganbayan’s approval on Tuesday of a PHDO petition filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. The order names Marcoleta, former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor, alongside businessmen Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu.
The legal restrictions are tied to pending criminal complaints against the four men involving allegations of plunder, indirect bribery, and violations of Presidential Decree No. 46—a martial law-era decree from 1972 that strictly bans the giving of gifts to public officers.