MANILA: An American wanted by authorities in the US state of Wisconsin for sexually molesting a child nearly two decades ago was arrested in Manila, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Francisco Gomez, 62, was apprehended by the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Ermita last Feb. 9.
Tansingco issued a mission order for the arrest of Gomez at the request of the US authorities in Manila which sought the BI’s help in locating the suspect.
“We will deport him as soon the BI board of commissioners issues the order for his summary deportation after which he will be blacklisted and banned from re-entering the country,” he said in a statement.
Tansingco noted that the American’s continued presence in the country poses a threat to Filipinos.
BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy added that Gomez is wanted to stand trial before a circuit court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which issued a warrant for his arrest on Feb. 26, 2003, after he was charged with sexual assault of a child.
He, however, eluded arrest in the US and on Oct. 6, 2006 he fled to the Philippines and never left the country since then.
Gomez is already an undocumented alien due to the cancellation of his passport by the US State Department.
The foreigner is currently held at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
Source: Philippines News Agency
