Ombudsman orders dismissal of 45 BI personnel over pastillas scheme

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of 45 personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for administrative offenses related to the pastillas scam, which allowed the illegal entry of Chinese citizens into the country.

In a 143-page consolidated decision, the Ombudsman found the officials “administratively liable for grave misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”

It also noted that those who have already been separated from public office prior to the decision will be fined equivalent to one year’s worth of salary.

The Ombudsman also dismissed charges against 40 employees of the BI for lack of substantial evidence, along with charges against five others which were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

The agency earlier filed graft charges against 42 BI personnel allegedly involved in the pastillas scam, noting that then-Deputy Commission Marc Mariñas of the Port Operations Division reportedly conspired with other immigration personnel.

Mariñas was said to have conspired with Liya Wu of Empire International Travel and Tours to “willfully, unlawfully and give unwarranted benefits, preference, or advantage to foreign passengers, particularly Chinese nationals.”

The group allegedly collected P10,000 fees per passenger, amassing a total of P1.43 million in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Government prosecutors said Mariñas and his team regulated incoming passengers and distributed commissions to other participants in the scheme. — BM, GMA News