Joel Anthony M. Viado, the Director of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines, recently spoke out for the first time about the "smearing of the Bureau of Immigration," emphasizing that he has never approved any special bail requests and hinted that the recent public attacks against him might stem from his refusal to release a Chinese suspect involved in a case.
Viado stated that he originally hoped the controversy could be handled quietly within the bureau to avoid affecting the reform process and staff morale, but due to ongoing public attention and false rumors, he decided to clarify some key information.
According to him, during his business trip, someone pushed for a bail resolution to release Tony Yang, a Chinese suspect involved in an offshore gambling case. Upon returning to the country, Viado immediately ordered the cancellation of the resolution, clearly refusing the bail application, and insisted on continuing the judicial investigation and detention of Yang.
"Despite private lobbying, I still adhere to principles," he noted, regretfully stating that not everyone is willing to defend the institution's reputation, and some rumors and attacks may be motivated by "vengeance." Regarding public demands to disclose the personnel involved, he chose a restrained response: "I will not respond to humiliation with humiliation."
Viado revealed that the matter has caught the attention of the Minister of Justice, and whether to investigate further will be decided by the Ministry of Justice. He hopes his statement will clarify public concerns and calls for the public to patiently wait for the official investigation results.
