Filipino nurse assistant deported after assault case in New Jersey

NEW YORK - The Filipino nurse assistant who was arrested and charged by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey for allegedly assaulting a patient at a rehabilitation facility has returned to the Philippines.

The Assistance to Nationals section of the Philippine Consulate in New York confirmed that Denmark Francisco has been deported following an order issued by the Immigration Court.

Consul General Senen Mangalile personally visited Francisco at the ICE Detention Center in Massachusetts last month to assess his condition.

According to Vice Consul Roval Valdez, head of the Assistance to Nationals section, the Consulate coordinated closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expedite Francisco’s repatriation.

Francisco was co-accused with Jovi Esperanza, who had earlier been voluntarily deported in February in connection with an aggravated assault case that occurred in October of last year, in which a 52-year-old patient was left in critical condition.

Esperanza claimed that their actions were in self-defense, as the patient had allegedly attacked them after being reprimanded for smoking inside the rehabilitation facility.

Francisco and Esperanza were detained at Ocean County Jail for several weeks before being transferred to ICE custody once their immigration status was reviewed.

According to Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, dozens of Filipinos are currently undergoing deportation proceedings in the U.S., including a teacher detained in Georgia on charges of child pornography. —VAL, GMA Integrated News