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The “bosses” of a “union” of corrupt immigration officers who allow foreign visitors, mostly Chinese, who plan to work in the country illegally to pass through the airport for a fee are apparently escaping persecution, according to the whistleblower of the alleged billionaire – Immigration officer Allison “Alex” Chiong said Tuesday at a Senate hearing that the 19 immigration officers recommended for prosecution for corruption by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this month did not include allegedly running the racket.
He said the leaders of the pill scheme he knew were Red Marinas, former head of the Port Operations Division, and his subordinate, Erwin Ortañez, head of the Travel Control and Execution Unit (TCEU).
Under Ortañez were Glen Comia, Bien Guevarra and Danieve Binsol, who manned Terminals 1 to 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, he said. His alternates were Billy Cadang, Anthony Lopez and Arlan Mendoza, he said.
None of them were included in the NBI case in the Ombudsman, Chiong said.
“They are the bosses. Bosses occupy positions at TCEU because TCEU is in control. That is the backbone of the union, ”he said.
Immigration bribery money
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who led the hearing as chair of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, had previously estimated that up to P10 billion in bribe money greased the hands of corrupt immigration officials and tour operators. private since the first part of the Duterte administration.
Under the “pill scheme,” which Chiong exposed to the Senate earlier this year, every Chinese citizen traveling as a tourist but intending to work for the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) pays a “fee. service “of P10,000 for a smooth entry Within the country.
The scheme acquired that label because the bribery money was wrapped in a white piece of paper that looked like Filipino dulce de leche.
Hontiveros called on the NBI to ensure that the masterminds of the scam, which is also used for human trafficking and prostitution, are held accountable.
‘Cover’
“For the sake of our women and children, the masterminds of this pill scam should be jailed,” Hontiveros said. “The big fish have not been caught. We can’t just go after the small-time players while the greats enjoy their lives. “
Chiong’s testimony in the Senate Tuesday came a day after the NBI arrested Joshua Paul Capiral, the head of its Legal Aid Section, for alleged bribery and extortion of various individuals implicated in the fraud.
This prompted Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to call for a top-down renewal of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
“He only gives credence to Mr. Chiong’s claim that BI staff who were not charged could in fact be guilty, due to the cover-up. [as] demonstrated by this shocking revelation, ”said Drilon.
“There is a clear suppression of evidence,” he added. “BI people have a tough face. They are being investigated and they are paying bribes to be excluded from the case ”.
He also said the Senate should consider recommending suspension of the visa-on-arrival program, as it had given rise to the pill scheme. The program is suspected of being used as a way around labor and immigration laws, he said.
The head of the NBI’s Special Action Unit (SAU), Emeterio Dongallo Jr., said that Capiral, who was arrested in his office by SAU agents, had asked an initial P200,000 from an immigration officer “in exchange for of a favorable result “.
‘Unusual developments’
Dongallo said the immigration officer was among 19 the NBI had accused of corruption.
Capiral allegedly worked with his brother, immigration officer Christopher Capiral, to extort money from immigration officials. Both are currently in the custody of SAU.
Cases prepared by the NBI are evaluated by its legal department before they are presented in court or at the Department of Justice. As head of the Legal Aid Section of NBI’s Legal Division, Capiral could recommend who to include and exclude in a criminal case, but his recommendation may not be fully accepted.
“We received information about four weeks ago [about this activity]. But before we could file the pill case, [our unit] considered that there have been unusual advances in the evaluation period. First the filing was delayed for months and then we were told that the evidence was weak, “said Dongallo.
He said his unit planned to charge 37 people, but Capiral wanted to recommend charges against just four.
“We work hard on accumulating cases on this sensational topic … so we wonder why [this person] in the legal division he worked as if he were the lawyer for the agents involved ”, he added.
Capiral allegedly claimed that he could exclude the names, reduce the charges or dismiss the cases of those investigated for an initial amount of P100,000, Dongallo said.
The amount could increase, depending on the evidence, said the head of the SAU.
Part of Capiral’s “sales talk” was that he was able to “fix” large cases and that he was able to access cases because he was well connected, Dongallo said.
The NBI will “dig deeper” into the cases handled by Capiral and look at possible collusion by other office employees, he said.
When asked how Capiral’s arrest would affect the lozenge racket case, Dongallo said other charges may be brought.
Janet Francisco, head of the NBI’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, told the Senate that SAU had pending investigations of other parties that could be involved in the pill scheme.
In a statement Tuesday, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente welcomed the arrest of Capiral’s brother “who was allegedly fixing the cases of those involved in the pill scheme.”
“Dishonest employees who are involved in corruption only smear the name of the office and face harsh penalties,” he said.
The immigration chief also said he supported the senators’ recommendation to reorganize the office and suspend everyone involved in the escort scheme.
“In fact, we have already removed the names [of immigration officers] that were mentioned in the hearing, as well as implemented a reorganization of the entire system, ”Morente said.
Earlier this year a total turnover of airport staff, all terminal managers and all TCEU bosses was implemented, and the head of the Port Operations Division was fired, he said.
He said the visa-on-arrival policy had been suspended since January in an effort to curb the entry of more COVID-19 cases. –WITH REPORT FROM TINA G. SANTOS INQ
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