Duterte completing list of officials to be fired from BI

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he will be completing the list of Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials who will be fired for corrupt practices.

“Today, I think I have to complete the list of officials that I’m going to fire, to dismiss from the BID, sa Bureau of Immigration,” Duterte told newly-appointed government officials in Malacañang.

“Ayaw ko kasi ‘yung iba kilala ko. Kaya lang ‘yung iba ko mga brod ko. Iyong iba were with me in ‘88 when I first ran for the mayorship, that was ‘88, ‘98.”  He did not elaborate.

In December 2016, Duterte directed the dismissal of Al Argosino and Michael Robles, both associate commissioners of the BI, who were accused of extorting P50 million from Jack Lam for the release of Chinese nationals working for the gaming tycoon's casino in Pampanga.

According to Duterte, both Argosino and Robles were his fraternity brothers, who helped him in his election campaign.

Earlier in the day, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte gave Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente an opportunity to address the corruption issues in the agency following the discovery of the so-called “pastillas” scheme in airport terminals.

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.

The BI earlier placed at least 19 personnel on floating status pending the results of the investigation. Morente said sanctions will be implemented based on the investigation’s findings.

Morente also ordered last week a reshuffle of all personnel assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  Terminals 1-3 in compliance with Duterte’s directive.

He said the bureau has activated new protocols in the conduct of secondary inspections in open areas “for transparency” and installed additional CCTV cameras in all areas of primary inspectors. —LDF, GMA News