Duterte won’t decide on Morente’s fate yet

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he has no decision yet on the fate of Bureau of Immigration chief Jaime Morente, whose agency is currently embroiled in a bribery scandal involving Chinese nationals.

Duterte indicated that his decision will come after the investigations being conducted by the Senate and the Department of Justice. The Palace had said Morente’s performance will be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting.

“I defer to Congress first before I make any decision, para walang masabi na ano,” the President said.

“But I think the Secretary of Justice is also doing his homework. At kung sino lang mauna. At least there is somebody who would tell me that these are the things that should not happen or should have happened.”

On Saturday, Morente expressed his disappointment with personnel linked to the alleged "pastillas" scheme. The concerned personnel have since been removed from their posts.

Duterte said he wants all personnel linked to the anomaly out of the agency.

"I am insisting on the ouster of all who are connected. I think we have terminated. But there will be more," Duterte said.

Under the pastillas scheme, Chinese nationals would pay thousands of pesos as bribe to be allowed entry into the country without going through the usual process.

According to Morente, new protocols in the conduct of secondary inspections in open areas were added to improve transparency.

They have also installed additional CCTV cameras in all areas of the primary inspectors. — BM, GMA News