BI: Organizational changes implemented due to pastillas scam

The Bureau of Immigration implemented organizational changes and improved inspections due to the pastillas scheme, the BI’s spokesperson said on Saturday.

At the Laging Handa briefing, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval underscored that the agency saw the need to improve checks and balances at the airport after a series of investigations related to the pastillas scheme.

“But after po ng series of investigations na naganap, mula noong lumabas ang petition na ito, what BI Commissioner [Jaime] Morente implemented apart from the revamp of personnel was organizational change,” Sandoval said.

(But after a series of investigations since this petition came out, what BI Commissioner Morente implemented apart from the revamp of personnel was organizational change.)

“Para po magkaroon ng checks and balance yung travel control and enforcement unit, ito po yung nagco-conduct ng secondary inspection sa mga passenger ng ibang bansa, pati po yung border control and intelligence unit, ay inilipat po sa intelligence division,” she added.

(To have checks and balances, the travel control and enforcement unit, these conducted the secondary inspection on passengers of other countries, as well as the border control and intelligence unit, was transferred to the intelligence division.)

Sandoval noted that the effect of this organizational change would be even stricter monitoring of the BI personnel at the airports. She added that technologies were also improved.

“Ang magiging effect po nito ay sila ang magsisilbing pangatlong mata kumbaga outside po at manonood po at magse-serve as checks and balance that will monitor the personnel at the airports,” she said.

(The effect of this is that they will serve as the third eye, watching and serving as checks and balances that will monitor the personnel at the airports.)

“Bukod po dyan technologies din po in-improve po natin. Hundred percent na po ng secondary inspection areas are now covered with CCTVs pati po yung transparent na already ang ginagamit sa mga areas na iyon para kitang kita po and highly visible ang mga activities ng mga personnel,” she added.

(Apart from that, we have also improved technologies. A hundred percent of the secondary inspection areas are now covered with CCTVs, as well as transparent materials are already used in those areas so that you can see the activities of the personnel.)

At least 45 BI personnel who were dismissed for administrative offenses related to the pastillas scheme are no longer reporting for work, according to the Department of Justice.

This came after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissals after it found the officials “administratively liable for grave misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”

Under the scheme, Chinese nationals were allowed to enter the country without going through the appropriate immigration formalities by paying P10,000.

Sandoval, meanwhile, warned BI employees not to commit corrupt practices, noting that the “long arm of the law will catch them.”

“Sa mga empleyado po that are even thinking of committing corrupt acts, huwag ninyo na pong subukan. Ika nga nila, very short and simple, the long arm of the law is bound to catch you. Huwag ninyo na pong isipin pa na gawin ang mga corrupt acts,” she stressed.

The BI spokesperson also thanked the “good and hardworking” employees, saying that they must continue working despite the challenges to the agency.

“Ipagpatuloy niyo lamang ang pagiging mabuting public servant kahit marami pong challenges or mga batikos po as long as those na maayos po mananatili pong masipag, maayos, masunurin, [at] mabuti pong public servants at alam ninyo pong malinis ang inyong konsensya at nasa tama ang inyong ginagawa wala po kayong dapat ikabahala,” she added.

(Continue being a good public servant. Even if there are many challenges or criticisms, as long as those who are good will remain hardworking, orderly, obedient, and good public servants, and your conscience is clear, you have nothing to worry about.) — DVM, GMA News