Solon wants vaccine for mutating ‘pastillas’

The Bureau of Immigration has long been in cahoots with travel agencies that allow the illegal entry of Chinese nationals. People are still taking advantage of others despite the pandemic

Don’t look now, but it seems even the pastillas scheme has mutated like the deadly coronavirus. And a lady senator is desperately looking for a vaccine against such corruption.

Senator Risa Hontiveros bared this Monday following reports that a travel agency is involved in a new form of escort system in which Chinese nationals allegedly pay P550,000 each for a seamless entry into the country.

She called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify the travel agency as well as the persons involved.

“I thought only Covid-19 can mutate, but it seems like the pastillas scheme did too. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has long been in cahoots with travel agencies that allow the illegal entry of Chinese nationals. People are still taking advantage of others despite the pandemic,” Hontiveros said.

The solon said that during one of its operations, the NBI entrapped Vivian Lara, a liaison officer who was caught receiving P900,000 to process the papers of three Chinese nationals inside the office of BI prosecutor Atty. Arnulfo Maminta.

The Chinese nationals, Lara said, are clients of a travel agency.

Last year, Hontiveros led a series of Senate investigations on the pastillas scheme operation where Chinese nationals including blacklisted individuals are allowed unimpeded entrance to the country for a price.

Involved immigration officials would accept money hidden in rolled bond paper resembling the wrapping for the local milk candy or pastillas.

Two individuals — NBI Legal Assistance Section head lawyer Joshua Capiral and his brother, Christopher John Capiral, an employee of the BI — were charged with robbery extortion charges in connection with the scheme.

“Chinese nationals with criminal records freely enter (the country) due to the connivance of the travel agency and corrupt members of the BI. I’ve called for a BI overhaul before and this needs to happen now as it seems the new scam features the same cast of characters,” she said.

“This is a direct threat to our national security. We’ve already established that Chinese syndicates have exploited our women and children, among many other unspeakable crimes. Its ringleaders are the travel agencies who are selling fake passports and other fake government documents to the Chinese,” she added.

Hontiveros reiterated her call to permanently abolish the Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) system for Chinese nationals, which is what most syndicates use to traffic women into the country.

She added that Chinese visitors should enter the country through channels monitored by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“The VUA should end. The corrupt BI officials should be removed. The involved travel agencies should be held liable. There should be a vaccine against corruption because it may become the cause of danger for Filipinos,” she added.