A KOREAN who escaped from the detention cell of the Bureau of Immigration more than three years ago but managed to get into Malacañang, where he even shook hands with President Aquino, was re-arrested by police and immigration agents.
Hang Mok You, 50, a native of Sean Su Go, Yen Dong, Incheon, South Korea, was arrested by Ozamiz City policemen led by Supt. Romeo Landagan Pillonar on October 4.
Hang was arrested at the Mount Balindang Golf and Country Club in barangay Balindang, Ozamiz City.
He was arrested in the presence of immigration agent Mike Pacalioga, who served summary deportation order AFF-06-017 that was issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
Before his arrest, Hang was on the lam and he had been the subject of operations not only by the BI but even members of the International Police Organization, he being a fugitive in Korea.
Pillonar reported to the National Police general headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City, that Hang had been held at the detention center of the BI in Bicutan, Taguig City, but he escaped on March 14, 2007, while undergoing medical treatment from his physician in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Since then the fugitive could not be located until he appeared in Malacañang last year and was seen shaking hands with President Aquino.
Reports said Hang was with Liberal Party Rep. Loreto Leo Ocampos of Misamis Occidental, who took his oath before Mr. Aquino as a member of the House of Representatives, when he met with the President.
It was not clear if it was Hang who took Ocampos to the Palace or if it was the other way around.
However, the Korean was reportedly seen a number of times playing golf with Ocampos in Misamis Occidental.
Several police officials marveled over the incident, saying most of them had not even entered the Palace compound and yet a Korean fugitive from justice, sauntered into the government’s seat of power and even met and shook hands with the country’s most powerful official.
They said Mr. Aquino should thoroughly screen his allies and friends and the people they are taking with them when they meet him.
Back in Korea, Hang was being sought by the police owing to a string of estafa cases.
