Fugitive businessman Dante Tan has fled a political inferno in Australia and is now seeking a safe refuge. He has strong links with Canada's Filipino-Canadian community reports the Asian Pacific News Service

A worldwide alert has been issued for a Filipino tycoon who has gone underground after claims he allegedly bribed Australian Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock for a visa.

Dante Tan, who has strong connections with the Filipino community in Canada is reported to be seeking a safe refuge from where he can fight the charges against him in Manila.

At least two senior Filipino police officers wanted in a murder case that Tan's company was implicated in have already made they way to Canada, according to Asian criminal intelligence reports.

Tan is also a close business associate of Macau casino king Stanley Ho, who has extensive business and real estate interests in Vancouver and Toronto.

Tan is wanted in the Philippines over the largest insider trading case in the Southeast Asian country's history, which contributed to the resignation and jailing of former President Joseph Estrada.

He is alleged to be the mastermind of the B.W. Resources (Best World Resources Corp.) trading scandal that caused the collapse of Manila's stock exchange in 1999.

The charges against Tan, if proved, could lead to 147 years in prison.

The Department of Justice in Manila last weekend vowed to bring Tan back to the Philippines from 'wherever he is'.

Philippine Justice Undersecretary Maria Merceditas Gutierrez said alerts have been issued worldwide and via Interpol urging that Tan be arrested and returned to the Philippines.

A high profile Filipino community member in Vancouver, who knows the Tan family, said there is a strong likelihood that the fugitive may come to Canada.

"He is a good man and Canada will give him a chance to fight the charges...they are all politically motivated...he has good connections here," he said.

Canadian security and police sources told The Asian Pacific Post that they are watching developments on the case.

They declined further comment.

Tan fled Australia last week after claims he obtained a residency visa from Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock after making a political donation, the Australian government said.

Ruddock said Australian police were powerless to stop Tan leaving the country, even though he is wanted in the Philippines.

The Australian opposition Labour Party has questioned in parliament whether Ruddock's intervention to renew Tan's visa in 2001 was linked to a A$10,000 dollar (C$9,000) donation the fugitive made to the minister's election campaign a month previously.

Labor also demanded to know why Ruddock granted migrants visas after money totalling A$113,000 (C$100,000) was donated to the Liberal Party.

Ruddock denied any wrongdoing in granting visas and revealed Tan left Australia recently, as the opposition was turning up the heat on the bribery allegations.

Opposition immigration spokeswoman Julie Gillard claimed a Lebanese businessman Karim Kisrwani arranged for Ruddock to issue visas to would-be residents.

After the news broke, Manila said that "urgent preparations" were being made to lodge an extradition request for Tan with Australia.

But Tan is thought to have taken a flight to Singapore before the request was made.

Ruddock said the Australian Federal Police had contacted its Filipino counterpart and advised it of Tan's departure details.

"They have also issued a general alert to Interpol so that further action might be taken in relation to this matter," he said.

Australian media reported that Tan has five children in Australia - two sons and three daughters.

Some of his companies involved in the export business and property developments are in the name of one of his daughters, Maureen Tan.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Tan, who applied for an Australian business skills visa in January 1998, was smuggled out of the Philippines a few years later in a boat because of the trouble brewing over his financial dealings.

This was about the same time two Filipino police officers, identified as Senior Superintendents Michael Ray Aquino and Cesar Mancao, wanted in connection with murder, drug smuggling and helping move millions to secret bank accounts for former president Joseph Estrada entered Canada via Halifax.

The entire secret account scandal is closely connected to Tan and the BW Resources fiasco in Manila.

At the height of the stock scandal allegedly masterminded by Tan, a public relations executive by the name of Salvador Dacer was kidnapped by police officers and killed.

Investigators in the Philippines believe that Dacer had documents implicating Tan and ex-President Estrada in the massive stock manipulation.

Unconfirmed reports in the Philippines said Tan had a $US1million contract on his head from certain members of the Chinese community in Manila because of his shady business dealings .

Tan is also understood to owe Macau casino boss Stanley Ho, who is accused of being linked to triad crime groups, $US50million.

Ho, who has denied any connections with criminal groups, was listed on an RCMP Asian Organized Crime Roster as having strong affiliations with the Kung Lok triad.

As the B.W Resources scandal broke in Manila, the gambling czar took out ads in Filipino newspapers blaming the negative publicity about him on Canadian criminal intelligence reports.

Immigration Department sources said if Dante Tan actually makes it onto Canadian soil, it maybe extremely difficult to extradite him back to the Philippines.

This is because of recent court rulings that have allowed an alleged Filipino political assassin to stay in the country.

The alleged assassin, Rodolfo Pacificador successfully argued that the Philippine justice system is corrupt and that he could not get a fair trial if returned to Manila.