Suspended pastillas schemers back to work

After the lapse of the six-month preventive suspension slapped by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) for their alleged involvement in the controversial “Pastillas Scheme” the Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials and employees are now back to work.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in his message to reporters yesterday said the 6-month preventive suspension has already lapsed but the preliminary investigation being conducted by the OMB is still going on. So is the administrative proceedings being conducted by the DoJ (Department of Justice) .

“These BI personnel have returned to the main office but most of them have not been given assignments while their cases remain pending,” Guevarra said.

The Justice chief pointed out that these Immigration personnel have not been totally dismissed from service in as much as their cases remain pending adjudication.

He said the BI officials and employees involved in the illegal scheme were not fired or dismissed, because the investigation of their cases is still going on.

“It’s up to the BI commissioners if they wish to give these subject personnel any new assignments.” Guevarra continued.

A Chinese citizen pays a P10,000 “service fee” — P2,000 of which will allegedly be shared among officials of the BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit, duty Immigration supervisor, and terminal heads.

The remaining P8,000 will then be given to tour operators and syndicates who will transport the Chinese from the airport to POGO facilities.