Manila, Jan. 2 -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has launched an intensive nationwide manhunt for two South Korean fugitives, with enforcement units mobilized to locate and apprehend them.

In a statement Friday, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the fugitives as Lee Jingyu, 32, and Yang Heejun, 44, both foreign nationals facing deportation cases with the agency.

He noted that the bureau is working closely with law enforcement agencies to track the fugitives' possible movements and ensure their swift recapture.

According to reports, the custodial force team at the BI Warden's Facility (BIWF) in Muntinlupa City, during a routine inspection on Jan. 1, discovered a rope tied at the rear portion of a ward gate.

A subsequent hea...