Immigration arrests American wanted for rape in US

June 22, 2017

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced Thursday the arrest of an American wanted by US federal authorities for raping a child in Virginia. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement 53-year-old Teodoro Lumaban Jr. was arrested Wednesday near the US embassy along Roxas Blvd. in Manila by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU). Lumaban was about to renew his US passport at the embassy when he was accosted by the arresting agents who were armed with a warrant of deportation signed by Morente. “I signed the said warrant pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against him (Lumaban) for being an undocumented and undesirable alien,” the BI chief said. Morente added that the American’s passport was canceled by the US government and that he was ordered expelled for posing risk to public safety and security due to his being a fugitive from justice. According to Bobby Raquepo, BI-FSU acting head, Lumaban had been hiding in the country for more than three years and that he had an appointment with the US embassy to renew his passport when he was arrested. Raquepo said the fugitive was unaware that his passport was canceled and that the US embassy, which sought his arrest, had informed the BI-FSU about his scheduled appointment. The US embassy said Lumaban, who is now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a US district court in Virginia where was charged with sexually assaulting a minor. DMS