MANILA — At least 40 former Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials and employees are now facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the “pastillas scheme” that gave foreigners easier entry into the Philippines.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires approved the filing of charges on May 27, while the graft cases were received by the Sandiganbayan on June 6, 2022.

Martires' resolution said the respondents gave preference or advantage to Chinese nationals and caused undue injury to a total of 143 passengers identified by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the amount of P10,000 or more or less P1.43 million.

A travel agency owner was also included in the graft charges.

The scheme, which ran from 2017 to 2020, allegedly involved “bosses” and Chinese suppliers who acted as conduits between travel agencies and immigration officers manning counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1 and 2.

The following immigration officers were charged by the Ombudsman: Former deputy commissioner Marc Red Mariñas, Grifton Medina, Erwin Ortanez, Glenn Comia, Benlando Guevarra, Danieve “Denden” Binsol, Deon “Nancy” Albao, Arlan Edward Mendoza, Anthony “Al” Lopez, Cecille Jonathan Crozco, Francis Dennis Robles, Bradford So, Vincent Bryan Allas, Rodolfo “Totoy” Magbuhos, Jr., ER German Robin, Gabriel Ernest “Gabe” Estacio, Ralph Ryan “RG” Garcia, Phol “Vexana III” Villanueva, Abdul Fahad “Sharpedge Calaca” Calaca, Danilo Deudor, Mark “Fakehappy” Macababbad, Aurelio “Amboy” Lucero III, George Bituin, Salahuddin Hadjinoor, Cherrypie “Chepie” Ricolcol, Chevy Chase Naniong, Carl Jordan Perez, Abdulhafez “HB” Hadjibasher, Jeffrey Dale “Boss Nyefi” Ignacio, Clint Simene, Asliyah Maruhom, Maria Victoria Jogno, Paul Erik “Liza” Borja, Hamza Pagasum, Manuel Sarmiento III, Dimple Mahyumi Mallari, Gerrymyle “Gem” Franco, John Michael Angeles, Francis Meeka Flores, Sadruddin Usudan, John Kessier Cortez, Mohammed Sahary Lomondot, John Derrick Go, Aira Inoue, and Rovan Rey Manlapas.

The Ombudsman also charged BI security guard Fidel Mendoza and administrative assistant Angelica Omampo, as well as Yanni Hao, George Ong and Cathy Cu who supposedly served as Chinese interpreters.

Empire International Travel and Tours owner Liya Wu, who allegedly provided the list of passengers who availed of the VIP treatment, is also facing graft charges.

“The bosses or Chinese suppliers receive the regular pay-outs from travel agencies usually wrapped like the local candy pastillas and then caused the distribution of the shares to the pastillas to the different members of the pastillas scheme,” the resolution said.

According to the Ombdusman, the so-called “Mariñas Team” led the “pastillas" scheme and distributed commissions or money to the other members of the group.

The initial members of the team were Mariñas, Guevarra and Mendoza while Ortanez eventually took over and controlled the scheme, the Ombudsman said.

Through the scheme, passengers were supposedly accorded seamless entry and sometimes VIP treatment as they are identified through a Viber chat group.

“The above acts of the accused public officials thus allowed the entry of foreign passengers into the country without going through regular and stringent profiling or screening processes in violation of existing immigration rules and procedures, to the prejudice of the government and public interest,” the resolution said.

A bail bond of P90,000 was recommended for each of the respondents.

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REACTIONS

The Department of Justice declined to comment on the charges.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would have to read the Ombudsman's resolution first before making any reaction.

“The DOJ conducted a parallel administrative investigation after a fact-finding inquiry by the BI, but the list of respondents in the administrative complaint is not the same set of respondents in the criminal complaint, which was submitted by the NBI to the OMB. It is the resolution of the administrative case that will determine the disciplinary action that may be taken against the respondents therein,” Guevarra said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who revealed the "pastillas scheme", welcomed the Ombudsman's recommendation to file graft charges.

In a statement, she considered the development a victory for women and for victims of human trafficking.

"This shows that Senate Committee hearings can be a force for good, at pwede maging katuwang ng estado at law enforcement agencies para labanan ang katiwalian. Our committee worked very closely with the DOJ, the NBI, and the DSWD," she said.

• From 10,000 to P550,000: Hontiveros says 'pastillas' scam mutating

—with a report from Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News

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