MANILA — The Department of Justice has dismissed from service 18 Bureau of Immigration personnel tagged in the controversial "pastillas" scheme that allegedly allowed Chinese citizens into the country in exchange for money.

In a resolution released Friday, the DOJ said the immigration officers and employees were found administratively liable for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

"They facilitated or allowed the facilitation of the arrival and/or departure of Chinese nationals, without undergoing appropriate immigration formalities, for a consideration,” the agency said in a statement.

The 18 respondents have been meted the penalty of dismissal from the service, with the imposition of the proper accessory penalties.

The BI respondents personnel ordered dismissed from service include the following.

• Francis Dennis Robles
• Glen Ford Comia
• Rodolfo Magbuhos, Jr.
• Deon Carlo Albao
• Danieve Binsol
• Paul Erik Borja
• Abdul Fahad Calaca
• Anthony Lopez
• Gabriel Ernest Estacio
• Chevy Chase Naniong
• Danilo Deudor
• Ralph Ryan Garcia
• Phol Villanueva
• Fidel Mendoza
• Benlando Guevarra
• Bradford Allen So
• Cecille Jonathan Orozco
• Erwin Ortañez

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Former BI deputy commissioner Marc Red Mariñas and former BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina were not among those dismissed from service. They have been charged by the Ombudsman with graft before the Sandiganbayan.

Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto said Mariñas and Medina were not among those probed by the fact-finding investigation committee because both were included in the Ombudsman complaint.

Bainto further clarified that Mariñas has resigned.

The DOJ and Ombudsman have concurrent jurisdiction over administrative cases of immigration employees.

Under the "pastillas" scheme, some Chinese allegedly entered the Philippines as tourists and later worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations hubs, paying immigration personnel around P10,000

The grease money was supposedly rolled in bond paper, like the "pastillas" delicacy.

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— Report from Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News