Duterte vouches for Immigration chief Morente: Mahal ko ’yan, mabait ’yan

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday vouched for the character of former Davao City police chief and current Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, whose agency is currently embroiled in a bribery scandal involving Chinese nationals.

Duterte issued the remark after he confirmed that he had ordered the removal of BI officials and personnel linked to the scheme in which Chinese nationals are escorted through the immigration process in exchange for thousands of pesos each.

“Kahapon I terminated all sa kay Morente. Apparently, si Morente, mahal ko 'yan kasi chief of police ‘yan dito. Mabait 'yan. Hindi niya kaya, limitado na rin kasi,” the President said in a speech in Davao City.

The Palace earlier said Morente still enjoys the trust and confidence of the President even though the “present situation” in the BI as well as how it is being run by Morente will be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting.

Following the President’s directive, the BI said 19 personnel have been relieved. An immigration officer, meanwhile, identified during the Senate inquiry on Thursday the officials allegedly part of the scheme.

In his Senate testimony, Allison Chiong, Immigration Officer 1, said his colleagues started offering VIP services when the Department of Justice removed their overtime pay in 2012.

"This VIP service involved immigration officers accepting P2,000 for each high rollers in exchange for the latter’s convenient and seamless immigration,” Chiong said.

He claimed that immigration officers received through Viber, a messaging app, a list of names of Chinese nationals who were to be allowed entry "without question or investigation." — BM, GMA News