By JEFFREY DAMICOG
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) intends to include in its next complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) the “bosses” of the “pastillas” money-making racket at the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
NBI Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU) chief Emeterio Dongallo Jr. pointed this out due to the testimony of the second whistleblower, BI officer Dale Ignacio.
“Mabubuo na natin ‘yung picture at masamama na po ‘yung tinaguriang mga boss (We can complete the whole picture and we can now include the so-called bosses),” Dongallo said during an interview over DZBB.
In the meantime, Dongallo said the NBI is checking the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of BI officers and personnel as part of the ongoing investigation of the pastillas racket.
“Isa po ito sa marami pa nating iko-consider na ebidenysa (This is one of the evidence we will consider),” he said.
Dongallo explained the NBI will find signs of corruption when it discovers discrepancies between the actual earnings of the BI officers and personnel and their existing properties and money as stated in their SALNs.
Prior the testimony of Ignacio, Dongallo said the NBI only had the testimony of whistleblower, BI officer Allison Chiong.
“Ang abot lang po ng kanyang personal na kaaalaman, ‘yung mga foot soldiers lang po, ‘yung nasa baba (Chiong’s personal knowledge only covers the foot soldiers, those below),” the NBI official pointed out.
Following on the conduct of the investigation based on Chiong’s testimony, the NBI filed last Sept. 1 a criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against 19 BI officers and personnel, including Ignacio, for their alleged involvement in the pastillas money-making scheme.
Aside from Ignacio, those named as respondents in the complaint are Grifton San Pedro Medina, Deon Carlo Albao, Fidel Mendoza, Abdulhafez dela Tonga Hadjibasher, Gabriel Ernest Mitra Estacio, Ralph Ryan Macahilo Garcia, Phol Bendana Villanueva, Abdul Fahad Guro Calca, Danilo Caro Deudor, Mark Dollete Macababad, Aurelio Somera Lucero III, George Bituin, Salahudin Pacalda Hadjinoor, Chevy Chase Reyes Naniong, Jeffrey Dale Salamde Ignacio, Hamza Usudan Pacasum, Manuel Brillante Sarmiento III, Cherry Pie Payabyab Ricolcol, and Er German Tegio Robin.
The NBI has recommended to the OMB that all 19 immigration officers (IOs) and immigration personnel (IPs) be criminally and administratively charged with violations of Sections 3(a) and 3(j) of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The bureau had earlier said that it also asked the OMB that all 19 BI IOs and IPs “be immediately placed under preventive suspension to preclude them from influencing instant investigation.”
The NBI also recommended that Ignacio also be indicted for qualified trafficking in persons in violation of RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and Empire International Travel and Tours owner Liya Wu for corruption of public officials in violation of Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
The bureau said investigators verified and looked into the sworn testimony of Chiong who stated that “the IOs and IPs involved in the Pastillas scheme conspired, confederated, mutually helped, and aided one another in directly and indirectly requesting and receiving money, gifts, and other benefits, including sexual favors, from trafficked foreign women.”
“These IOs and IPs allow foreign nationals entry in the country despite the absence of the necessary documents as required by prevailing Immigration rules and regulations in exchange of so-called ‘pastillas money’,” the NBI said.
