Duterte giving Morente a “chance” after “pastillas” scheme expose, Palace says

March 3, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte is giving Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente a "chance" to do reforms in the agency following the expose on the "pastillas" bribery scheme.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in a press briefing Tuesday, said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra discussed the Bureau of Immigration's current situation in relation to corruption allegations involving some Immigration personnel who allegedly received huge amount of bribes from Chinese nationals entering the country.

The BI is an agency attached to the Department of Justice.

Panelo said Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investigation, an agency also under the justice department, to investigate "corrupt practices in the airport terminals."

"The focus of which would be two main areas namely: human trafficking involving outbound passengers, mostly overseas workers; and, escort of facilitation services involving foreign nationals entering Philippine territory without proper or falsified documentation," he said.

During the Cabinet meeting, Morente was also present.

Asked what Duterte told the Immigration chief, Panelo said, "He is giving Commissioner Morente a chance to do some innovations in the Immigration department...to do something about the problem in the Immigration."

He said an executive order may be introduced "to address certain issues that have been raised."

Panelo noted Duterte has already said in public that he knew and he believes Morente.

Pressed if Morente would be excluded from the investigation being conducted by the NBI, Panelo said, "Let me make it very clear: there is nobody who is exempted from any investigation when there is a complaint of corruption. Regardless of who you are, if there is a complaint, you will be investigated." Celerina Monte/DMS