Immigration officials tagged in ‘pastillas’ scheme sacked

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced the relief of the immigration officers and personnel involved in the airport corruption in a Palace briefing on Thursday. (File: Screengrab from Video: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

President Rodrigo Duterte fired all Immigration officials and employees who were involved in the bribery scheme that allows Chinese nationals easy entry to the country in exchange for money.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced the relief of the immigration officers and personnel involved in the airport corruption in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

“The President considers this anomaly, which some define as the ‘pastillas scheme’, as a grave form of corruption that cannot be countenanced by the government,” Panelo said.

The ‘pastillas’ scheme, which was revealed by Senator Risa Hontiveros this Monday, is said to involve Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel who were allegedly receiving P10,000 for each Chinese national as pay-off for a trouble-free entry to the Philippines.

“Any official or employee who commits any wrong in the performance of their respective duties shall be meted out with the punishment that they deserve and in accordance with our penal laws,” Panelo added.

The money-making scandal was named after the Filipino delicacy because of how the alleged kickbacks that are paid by the Chinese nationals to the immigration officers for a ‘special treatment’ were rolled in a white bond paper like just like with ‘pastillas’.

Panelo did not specify the names of the officers involved and it is unclear how many officials and personnel are affected by the order of the President.

Earlier this Monday, five Immigration officials were relieved of their duties as the BI continues its probe on the alleged money-making ploy.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered a probe on the airport corruption scheme and sacked the five officials who were terminal heads and heads of the travel control and enforcement unit of NAIA.

However, Immigration Spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that the officers have been relieved from their posts but not terminated from the service. Sandoval also refused to name the officers that were sacked.

“For prudence, I am unable to release the names of those relieved as they were removed from their posts due to command responsibility,” she said.