More than 400 BI personnel investigated, penalized for corruption since 2016 —Morente

Over 400 employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have been investigated or sanctioned for corruption since 2016, the agency’s chief Commissioner Jaime Morente said Thursday.

Morente said the bureau was “aggressive” in addressing corrupt activities despite the alleged involvement of some personnel in the trafficking of Filipino women to work in Syria, which became a subject of a Senate inquiry this year.

“I take an iron fist stance on this evil, as it has no place amongst our ranks,” he said.

Last year, the BI chief declared a one-strike policy against erring employees, and warned that reports of corruption will entail an employee’s immediate relief.

Morente said that apart from the administrative sanctions, they have put in place numerous system improvements to prevent corruption in the workplace.

These include the creation of a 24/7 feedback channel, eliminating red tape by reducing the number of process steps and signatories and by modernizing systems, decentralization of airport units to maintain checks and balances at the airport, and more stringent and enhanced counterintelligence efforts against corruption, among other initiatives.

“The pandemic has given us more opportunities to implement measures that not only ensure the proper safety and health protocols but also result in tighter anti-corruption controls,” Morente said. -MDM, GMA News