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Friday, November 1, 2024

Rody berates BI personnel over ‘pastillas’ scam

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.

'PASTILLAS' POWWOW. To underscore the administration’s fight against corruption, President Rodrigo Duterte (top inset, with Senator Christopher Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea standing behind him) summoned officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration allegedly involved in the 'pastillas' controversy at Malacañang on Monday evening. Presidential Photo

But Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday the alleged mastermind of the "pastillas" bribery scam was not among the Immigration bureau personnel Duterte met.

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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 bribery scheme, symbolized by money wrapped in colored paper (inset), was first exposed in 2017. Presidential Photo

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.

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