Philippine immigration chief to be jailed for corruptionMANILA, Oct 23, 2006 (AFP) - A Philippine court has ordered the jailing of the former immigration commissioner for allowing alleged Indian drug dealers to return home instead of facing trial, the Ombudsman said Monday.

In a ruling handed down last week, Zafiro Respicio was found guilty of violating corruption laws for agreeing to a request from the 11 Indian nationals to be repatriated, the Ombudsman said.

Respicio, who has denied wrongdoing, is free on bail while he appeals the ruling handed down in the special Sandiganbayan graft court.

The Ombudsman, a state prosecutor that handles corruption charges against public officials, brought the case to the graft court.

A month after the Indians were arrested during a raid on a drug laboratory in Manila in 1994, they filed requests for deportation instead of facing trial. Drug trafficking is a non-bailable crime in the Philippines and carries the death penalty.

Respicio however approved their applications during his birthday party, the Ombudsman said.

It is unclear how Respicio allegedly benefited from his ruling and if the government paid for the Indians' deportation.

"This decision should serve as a warning to government officials against the commission of graft as the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with them even after their separation from service," special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said.

He said the former immigration chief was handed a maximum 12-year prison sentence for graft as well as being disqualified for life from holding any public office.

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