MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to deport two foreigners wanted by authorities in their country for sexually molesting children.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, in a statement Tuesday, said American national John Tomas Minor, 42, and British national Derek Gordon Heggie, 40, were arrested in separate operations by the BI’s fugitive search unit in Cebu province on Monday 27.11.23
“They will be deported after our board of commissioners issues the orders for their summary deportation, after which they will be included in our immigration blacklist to prevent them from reentering the country,” he said.
Minor was arrested in a condominium unit at the Cebu Business Park in Cebu City while Heggie was caught at a residential unit in Barangay Guadalupe, Bogo City.
Tansingco issued mission orders for their arrest at the request of the US and British authorities, who informed the BI of their criminal records.
According to US authorities, Minor is the subject of an arrest warrant issued in May by a superior court in Spokane, Washington where he was charged with raping and molesting a child.
On the other hand, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom said Heggie was convicted of sexual assault on Aug. 10, 2005, and committed several other sex crimes, including raping a domestic partner in 2018 and an ex-partner in 2013. He also allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a minor.
British authorities warned the BI that Heggie is known to be violent, with an extensive criminal history that includes different types of sexual abuse, damage to property, and possession of narcotic substances, among other grave offenses.
Both suspects are temporarily detained at the BI office in Mandaue City pending their transfer to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“We should not allow these wanted sex offenders to use the Philippines as a sanctuary to elude arrest and evade prosecution for crimes they committed in their homelands,” Tansingco added.
