Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives arrested an overstaying American in Batangas who was accused of being an undesirable alien by his alleged battered Filipina common-law wife.
BI intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. identified the American as 61-year-old Reuben Henry Hartfield, who was arrested on Tuesday in Tanauan City.
The arresting agents were reportedly armed with a mission order from Commissioner Jaime Morente who issued the arrest warrant upon learning that Hartfield is already an overstaying alien in the country.
Manahan said the American was arrested at the Tanauan municipal trial court bldg. after he attended a hearing on a case that was filed against him by his former common-law partner.
It was learned that a similar complaint for undesirability was filed by the victim against Hartfield before the BI which led to his subsequent arrest and possible deportation.
Manahan said the deportation complaint against the American stemmed from the charge of violating Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act (VAWC), which his estranged Filipina partner filed against him before the Tanauan court.
He is presently detained at the BI’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
Even if ordered deported, however, Hartfield will have to await the resolution of his criminal case which is under trial at the Tanauan court. If convicted, he will have to serve his sentence before he could be deported.
He will then be placed in the immigration blacklist and banned from re-entering the Philippines.
