The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that it has received an order from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to monitor the travel of the driver in the viral hit-and-run incident in Mandaluyong City.
In a three-page order, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra instructed the BI to monitor the travel of Jose Antonio Valmonte Sanvicente, who was said to be the driver of the sports utility vehicle which reportedly ran over security guard Christian Joseph Florade along Julia Vargas Avenue.
The Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) issued by the DOJ referenced the request of Mandaluyong Assistant City Prosecutor Jofre Z. Andrion, requesting a lookout bulletin on Sanvicente in connection with a criminal complaint filed against the latter for Frustrated Murder and Abandonment of One’s Own Victim, which are pending preliminary investigation.
According to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, there is information that Sanvicente may attempt to leave the country, hence he ordered the immediate inclusion of Sanvicente’s name in the BI’s system.
“The alert has been encoded in our system and will allow our officers to monitor his travel if encountered in any airport or seaport nationwide,” said Morente.
BI to implement Lookout Bulletin against Sanvicente
However, he clarified that the ILBO will not legally bar the travel of Sanvicente. “The ILBO is for monitoring purposes only, and it orders the Bureau to be on the lookout for the subject,” said Morente. “If encountered, the BI is instructed to coordinate with the National Prosecution Service, the DOJ, and the Office of the City Prosecutor of Mandaluyong City to determine the appropriate action to be taken thereafter,” he added.
Due to the lack of an arrest warrant, the Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained on Thursday that there is no legal basis for them to detain Jose Antonio Sanvicente, the SUV driver involved in last week’s hit-and-run incident in Mandaluyong City.
In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo emphasized that an out-of-court settlement between both parties is outside the PNP’s jurisdiction.
“To inform the public, the PNP has no legal grounds to take into custody itong suspect considering na wala pa namang warrant of arrest na na-issue sa kanya. Hindi na po ito subject for warrantless arrest dahil there’s already a considerable lapse of time from the time na nangyari ‘yung insidente,” she said.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.