Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla named deputy commissioner Joel Anthony Viado as officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Immigration, news reports said Tuesday.

Viado replaced Norman Tansingco as commissioner, who was fired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday.

Tansingco came under fire following a revelation from Senator Risa Hontiveros that dismissed Tarlac town mayor Alice Guo fled the country on July 18 for Kuala Lumpur. Guo and her associates made their way to Indonesia.

Remulla, whose office has direct supervision over the Bureau of Immigration, was upset as Tansingco did not tell him immediately that Guo left the country.

Guo told the Senate on Monday that she and her associates left on a boat and did not go through immigration. DMS