THREAD: Senator Risa Hontiveros says her informant that spilled the Bureau of Immigration 'pastillas' scheme will testify in today's hearing | Watch here bit.ly/2Pcdtp0 
The bribe is called 'pastillas' because before the upgrade to envelopes, the cash payments used to be distributed to officers rolled inside a sheet of bond paper resembling the wrapper of the milk candy
Hontiveros says Immigration officials involved in the 'pastillas' scheme and will be subject to lifestyle checks
Hontiveros says the witness is an Immigration Officer I assigned at NAIA Terminal 1
Witness: I have personally witnessed various illegal transactions involving extorted money for unimpeded passage to enter or leave the country
Witness: I have personally witnessed various illegal transactions involving extorted money for unimpeded passage to enter or leave the country
Witness:
• The VIP service involves ₱2,000 per casino high roller for convenient passage
• In a day, approximately 2,000 Chinese nationals enter NAIA
• These Chinese nationals are allowed entry without question or investigation
• The VIP service involves ₱2,000 per casino high roller for convenient passage
• In a day, approximately 2,000 Chinese nationals enter NAIA
• These Chinese nationals are allowed entry without question or investigation
Witness: The first Viber group chat where the list of Chinese nationals to be given VIP treatment had been deleted due to scrutiny. After that, a Chinese national will be brought to a holding room for checking against a master list of clients bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness: Groups work with Chinese travel agencies in China who send the list of names of travelers who will get VIP treatment once they arrive in NAIA bit.ly/3bSBvPp
The witness names several Immigration officers and high-ranking officials involved in the supposed 'pastillas' scheme 'syndicate' bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness: The new process caused great inconvenience to the Immigration officers since they had to stand up then lead each arriving Chinese national to the holding area. The old process through Viber was revived bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness: Other syndicated groups in the Bureau of Immigration started submitting their own names of Chinese nationals. These groups worked with Chinese travel agencies bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness attests to the authenticity of Viber group chats where the 'pastillas' scheme is being transacted bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness: The syndicated groups would compete with each other to gain favor from Chinese travel agencies. These groups were headed by different personalities at the BI bit.ly/3bSBvPp
Witness: For Chinese nationals, dapat hinahanapan sila ng return ticket, hotel booking, at itinerary bago papasukin sa bansa. In some cases, hinahanapan din natin sila ng proof of financial capacity like credit cards, at iche-check din ang proof of travel to other countries
Witness: But there have been a lot of cases na pagbukas mo ng passport, nagwowork sa Cambodia itong Chinese passenger. Doon pa lang, malalaman mo na kaagad na magwowork 'yun dito sa mga POGO. Red flag na 'yun
Witness says about one-third of Chinese travelers coming from Cambodia. He says a number of POGO companies are based there
Immigration officer Allison Chiong, 'pastillas' scheme witness: Basta po nasa listahan ang pangalan, no questions asked na. Tatak na kaagad at pasok sa Pilipinas
'Pastillas' scheme witness: Minsan sobrang dami nang Chinese nationals sa holding area, hindi na magkasya, lumalabas na. Mahahalata ng NBI na maraming pinapapasok. Ma-eexpose. So binalik nila ang dating Viber group
He says there is a Chinese translator inside the holding area
He says there is a Chinese translator inside the holding area
'Pastillas' scheme witness admits he took the videos of the 'pastillas' scheme inside the airport in July 2019: Sukdulan na po, gusto kong i-expose talaga itong nangyayari sa Immigration
He says the man in the video is still with BI. Watch the clip here: bit.ly/3bRGGiG
He says the man in the video is still with BI. Watch the clip here: bit.ly/3bRGGiG
'Pastillas' scheme witness says NAIA Terminal 1 has the biggest concentration of flights from China
Immigration official names former Bureau of Immigration Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Mariñas, Den Binsol, Glenn Comia and Bien Guevarra as people behind the ‘pastillas scheme’
Witness: The Bureau of Immigration is an agency for the Filipino people. Ang lalim ng roots nila sa ahensya kaya sila rin ay may control
Witness tags BI’s former Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) head at NAIA Terminal 1 as the biggest 'conduit' from the travel agencies from China
Mariñas resigned in 2018 when he ran for Muntinlupa mayor, but he still exercises influence in BI, witness says
He adds that Binsol, Comia and Guevarra are still in the BI, but have been reassigned to a newly-formed Anti-Terrorism Group
He adds that Binsol, Comia and Guevarra are still in the BI, but have been reassigned to a newly-formed Anti-Terrorism Group
Immigration official/witness: Pastillas is Chinese money that is used to bribe Immigration officers so they can freely enter our country
Immigration official/witness: Kapag suwelduhan na, ang tawag diyan, 'pastillas time!'
Immigration officer/witness: I feel na ang mga kasamahan kong immigration officers, they have been enslaved by this corrupt system. Whether or not they were aware of it, biktima din sila. I want to free them that's why I'm making this sacrifice
Immigration officer/witness estimates that around 90% of BI officials are involved in the 'pastillas scheme'
He says he's been receiving death threats ever since the scheme has been exposed
He says he's been receiving death threats ever since the scheme has been exposed
Immigration officer/witness: I don't think I can go back to my work kasi galit na sa akin ang Bureau of Immigration
Immigration officer/witness: 10% na lang ng Immigration officers ang hindi kasama sa 'pastillas' modus
Grifton Medina, acting chief of the bureau's Port Operations Division, says he is not aware of Viber groups created for the 'pastillas' scheme. He only knows group chats for cascading urgent memos involving airport operations
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente: The visa upon arrival is processed in the commissioner's office. These are forwarded to travel agencies so these are reflected in the passport of tourists | Watch here bit.ly/2HItIWo
Hontiveros says the latest exposé may trigger changes in the country's Immigration Law
Immigration commissioner says he also relieved acting Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina pending investigation on the 'pastillas' scheme
Immigration commissioner says he personally asked NBI to investigate reported human trafficking cases
Immigration commissioner on human trafficking schemes: I took measures to address these aside from the investigation done by another board of discipline composed to investigate the news report by Tulfo on the involvement of division officers in the facilitation and escort service
Immigration commissioner admits: Naging kalakaran na talaga 'yan sa Immigration, this is a syndicated operation. Ang hirap i-address nang buo but we do have reform measures
Immigration commissioner says they are venturing into automation to remove human contact: We have operationalized electronic gates, but we stopped it recently so we can scrutinize passports
Immigration commissioner: I know these measures cannot prevent kung mayroong scalawags. They should be, on my own opinion, there should be immediate sanctions.
Witness says there's also a special arrangement offered by Immigration officials to Chinese nationals who were previously blacklisted to enter the Philippines.
Witness says these blacklisted or fugitive Chinese nationals likely pay ₱50,000 to ₱200,000 for VVIP treatment: Hindi na po i-scan ang passport, dadaan lang talaga sa gate.
Justice Undersecretary Em Aglipay-Villar says there has been an order for a case build-up regarding the alleged human trafficking, prostitution for POGO workers in response to reports.
NBI says the passports of the POGO workers they have rescued usually hold tourist visas.
Sen. Hontiveros says there's a scam where Chinese workers report they lost their passport so they can get a new visa from Immigration.
'Pastillas scheme' witness says he has not returned to the Bureau of Immigration since the first Senate hearing on Monday since it was 'dangerous'.
Witness: Galit sila sa akin kasi I've been exposing them.
Witness: For the record, hindi naman po talaga ako humawak ng any Chinese. Hindi po ako naging supplier. So doon pa lang, I cannot be competition. Hindi po ako naagawan at hindi rin po ako mangaagaw.
Hontiveros on relief of Immigration officials involved in ‘pastillas scheme’: I welcome the continuing clean up of the Bureau of Immigration, sobrang garapalan na ng operations.
Hontiveros: This is bigger than the frontline employees. We need to protect the innocent, ensure that our borders are protected, go after the big fish and create systemic change sa loob ng Bureau of Immigration.
Hontiveros says panel will summon former BI Deputy Commissioner Red Mariñas to next hearing.
Hontiveros hopes relieved Immigration officials are not reappointed to government.
