Immigration Bureau Intensifies Search After Detainees Escape
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has mobilized its enforcement units across the Philippines in a full-scale operation to recapture two South Korean fugitives who escaped from custody. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed the nationwide manhunt on Friday, identifying the escapees as Lee Jingyu, 32, and Yang Heejun, 44.
Both men are foreign nationals with pending deportation cases and are considered significant threats to public safety. The BI is coordinating closely with other law enforcement agencies to track their movements and ensure their swift apprehension.
Details of the Muntinlupa Facility Escape
The escape was discovered on January 1, 2026, during a routine inspection at the BI Warden’s Facility (BIWF) in Muntinlupa City. Security personnel found a rope tied to the rear portion of a ward gate. An immediate headcount revealed that Lee and Yang were missing.
The facility was placed on total lockdown, and a thorough search of all perimeter sections was launched. The discovery prompted the BI to escalate its efforts into a nationwide manhunt for the two dangerous individuals.
Criminal Backgrounds and Interpol Notices
The fugitives have extensive criminal records and are the subjects of international alerts. Lee Jingyu was arrested by the BI Fugitive Search Unit in Pasay City on November 17, 2025. He is wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for drug smuggling.
Authorities allege Lee orchestrated the trafficking of approximately 3 kilograms of methamphetamine in early 2024. He also has prior convictions for aggravated assault. The BI had charged him for being an undesirable and overstaying alien.
Yang Heejun was arrested by BI operatives in Angeles City, Pampanga, back in 2022. He is wanted in South Korea for burglary, theft, and related offenses, and is also subject to an Interpol Red Notice.
Yang faces deportation for being an undesirable and undocumented alien. He was previously implicated in an attempted drug smuggling incident inside the BIWF in 2022.
Ongoing Manhunt and Public Appeal
Commissioner Viado stated that the BI has sought assistance from the Bureau of Corrections and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to trace the fugitives' possible escape routes. "We will not stop until they have been located so they can be made to face their crimes," Viado emphasized.
The BI chief urged the public to report any sightings of Lee Jingyu or Yang Heejun immediately. Information can be relayed through the BI hotline at +633 8 465 2400 or via their official Facebook Messenger page at facebook.com/officialbureauofimmigration.
The bureau reassures the public that all efforts are being intensified to locate and apprehend the escapees, who pose a serious risk to community safety.
