Ombudsman suspends immigration officers involved in pastillas scheme

Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued a suspension order on Bureau of Immigration officials allegedly involved in the Pastillas scam - a scheme in which Chinese high-rollers and offshore gaming workers bribe immigration officers with wads of cash in exchange for their unhampered entry into the country.

“Yes, it was served yesterday,” Martires said in a text message.

Martires and his office, however, did not identify the immigration officials who were slapped with the suspension order.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has been leading the probe on the pastillas scheme, estimated that the racket coupled with the Immigration Bureau’s visa upon arrival system (VUA) generated P40 billion worth of bribes.

Based on Immigration Bureau records, around four million Chinese citizens had entered the Philippines since 2017.

The VUA policy has been suspended since January due to the COVID-19 pandemic. — DVM, GMA News