THE Bureau of Immigration has enforced the dismissal order of the Office of the Ombudsman against 45 officers and employees involved in the “pastillas” scam, the Department of Justice said yesterday.
Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto said the 45 agents who were ordered dismissed for administrative offenses are no longer reporting for work.
“The Ombudsman decision dismissing the 45 respondents is immediately executory. We have also received confirmation from the BI that they have received the said decision and the said 45 BI employees are no longer reporting for work,” Bainto said.
The Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of the immigration personnel after it found them administratively liable for grave misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in relation to their participation in the pastillas scheme, which allowed the entry for a fee of some 143 foreigners, mostly illegal Chinese workers, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals 1 and 2 from 2017 to 2020 without undergoing immigration procedures.
The Ombudsman said the foreigners were granted VIP passage after paying P10,000 each.
The bribe money was supposedly rolled up in a manner that resembles a “pastillas de leche” treat, a popular Filipino milk-based candy.
The Ombudsman’s June 6 dismissal order also applied all accessory penalties including cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and from taking the civil service examinations.
Bainto said the forfeiture of benefits pertains to possible benefits that the personnel would get from the Government Service Insurance System.
“As for the forfeiture of benefits, this pertains to the possible benefits from the GSIS. I’m still confirming if there are other retirement benefits peculiar only to BI. However, terminal leave benefits and personal contributions to the GSIS are not subject to forfeiture,” the DOJ official said.
Bainto said should any of the dismissed BI personnel be exonerated through a motion for reconsideration or an appeal of the dismissal order, “he shall be reinstated with payment of back wages and all benefits.”
Communications Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said Malacanang welcomed the decision of the Ombudsman, saying the dismissal of the 45 BI personnel proves that that there are no sacred cows in the Duterte government.
“(It) underscores that there are no sacred cows in the Duterte Administration. We welcome this decision as it shows the current government’s zero tolerance policy against corruption in the bureaucracy,” Andanar said.
He said fighting corruption remains a challenge which is why the government continues to push for automation of government systems to avoid face-to-face contact, and at the same time eliminate redundant processes, for effective and efficient delivery of government services.
Ending corruption in government was one of the campaign promises of President Duterte. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
