The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed the second batch of graft and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against 86 officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for their alleged involvement in the “pastillas” scheme.
The NBI-Special Action Unit, led by lawyer Emeterio Donggallo Jr., tagged eight high-ranking Immigration officials as part of the core of the “pastillas” group and Immigration Officer 2 Marc Red Mariñas, ex-port operations division chief, as the brains behind the scam.
Mariñas; Grifton San Pedro Medina, ex-operations division acting chief; Glennford Comia, Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TECU) head at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 1; Erwin Ortañez, Border Control Intelligence Unit chief, and Er German Robin, TCEU operations deputy head from 2017 to 2019 as well as the rest of the accused are facing a complaint for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and dismissal from the service.
The NBI urged Ombudsman Samuel Martires to remove Immigration Officer Dale Ignacio from the list of those who would be criminally charged, saying Ignacio could be a state witness.
All terminal heads of the TECU in NAIA 1, 2 and 3 and the over-all head of BI Border Control and Intelligence Unit were also included in the complaint.
Several accused supposedly received cash bribes, gifts and other benefits, including sexual favors from foreign women, who were victims of human trafficking.
Donggallo said he believed the graft and administrative complaint against the 86 immigration employees is air-tight based on the revelations and evidence provided by Ignacio, a second whistle-blower.
The NBI said the statements of Ignacio validated the testimony of Allison Chiong, the first whistleblower.
Chiong earlier told a Senate investigation that 90 percent of the bureau personnel personnel were involved in the “pastillas” scheme that afforded special treatment to Chinese nationals entering the Philippines in exchange for cash.
In October, Martires placed 45 immigration officials on a six-month preventive suspension without pay in connection with the scheme.
NBI Director Eric Distor vowed to charge the remaining members of the pastillas group including private individuals, travel agencies and possible protectors.
Meanwhile, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the bureau would implement a one-strike policy against erring employees.
Morente ordered the BI’s newly-reconstituted Board of Discipline to “carefully assess complaints and reports against erring personnel” and added that if found to have merit, immediately recommend to the Department of Justice the filing of administrative cases against them.
BI records show that from 2016, 131 personnel have been suspended, dismissed, and dropped from the rolls for various offenses.
“We do not tolerate corruption amongst our ranks,” said Morente. “In support of the President’s intensified drive against corruption, we have beefed up our Board of Discipline to focus on cleaning up the bureau,” he added.
The BOD is currently headed by lawyer Ronaldo P. Ledesma, who previously served as the Bureau’s OIC commissioner and OIC deputy commissioner. Five additional lawyers have also been assigned by the DOJ to the BOD.
Under the one-strike policy, erring personnel subject to complaints and investigations will be relieved from their posts immediately.
Morente earlier lamented having no disciplinary powers over employees of the BI.
“What we really need is a change in law,” Morente said.
“The current immigration law does not give us disciplinary powers over employees. The set-up now is we are merely recommendatory to the DOJ. If administrative control was to be given to the BI, if we find someone involved in improper activities in the morning, we can immediately implement a suspension in the afternoon,” he added.
