President Rodrigo Duterte scolded the Immigration officers involved in the so-called ‘pastillas’ scheme during a meeting at the Palace Monday and even told them to each swallow a rolled one 100-peso bill given to them, Malacanang said.
But Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday the alleged mastermind of the "pastillas" bribery scam was not among the Immigration bureau personnel Duterte met.
The President summoned 44 Immigration personnel, who were all suspended or facing charges due to the "pastillas" scam, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said, in reference to a milk-based confectionery.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said "No one among the BI personnel dared to utter a word. End of the meeting," he said.
Former Bureau of Immigration Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Mariñas is among 86 employees of the bureau facing charges over the bribery scheme that allowed Chinese workers to enter the Philippines and illegally work here, said Hontiveros.
But the former airport Immigration boss denies masterminding the “pastillas” scheme.
Hontiveros told ANC's Headstart: "What's shocking is we got an update that Red Mariñas was not among those that the President scolded.
That's the big question, where was Mariñas?”
The immigration officers are currently under investigation after being tagged on the money-making scheme known as ‘pastillas,” Roque said.
Roque said the BI officers allowed the entry of foreign nationals to the country who do not have the proper documents by accepting bribe money wrapped in papers that resembled the pastillas delicacy.
“The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had filed corruption charges against the involved BI officers,” Roque said.
“The President instructed an aide to give a "pastillas" containing cash of unknown amount to each Immigration officer in the meeting.
After giving a pastillas to each of them, Duterte told them “to eat it because it contained cash,” he said.
However, the President did not insist because Justice Secretary Menardo Geuvarra was there and he said “I (the President) could face a case, ' he added.
None of the officers opened the pastillas, he said.
The Office of the Ombudsman has placed at least half of the personnel facing charges under preventive suspension, Hontiveros said.
