(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has sacked from their posts the heads of the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview with “Sa Ganang Mamamayan” on Tuesday morning, Feb. 18, said that the bureau had already coordinated with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the investigation of similar schemes.
Sandoval said that as of Monday afternoon, Feb. 17, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente had relieved and replaced all of the terminal heads at the NAIA pending the results of the investigation. The head of the Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) was also relieved from his post and replaced. This was after the commissioner learning of the allegations during the Senate hearing conducted by Senate Risa Hontiveros on the alleged “pastillas” scheme.
“Kaya po yesterday po nang lumabas ito sa Senate hearing, naalarma po si Commissioner Morente, kasi sa dami po ng inimplement natin, marami na po tayong mga nakasuhan, napatanggal, and we implemented a lot of measures para maiwasan ang mga ganitong schemes, ay meron pa po pala na mga ongoing na mga gawain. Kaya po (Monday afternoon) nagpalabas na po ng direktiba, lahat po ng terminal heads at saka po yung head ng Travel Control and Enforcement Unit, tinanggal po, ni-relieve po sa puwesto, pinalitan po ang mga iyan pending the results of the investigation,” Sandoval said.
She said that there were at least five officials who had been relieved, and that a task force had been created by the Bureau to investigate the so-called “pastillas scheme” so the BI chief would know its scope and the officials in the bureau who are involved in this.
“Nag-create din po ng fact-finding committee para po ma-imbestigahan itong insidenteng ito, itong modus na ito, para makita po kung may katotohanan po ito, at kung gaano po kalawak ito para makasuhan ng appropriate administrative and criminal charges.
In the Senate hearing on Monday, Hontiveros revealed that some Chinese nationals were being escorted in the airport for P10,000 each.
Morente ordered the probe after the inquiry held by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality.
She said the results will come out in 15 days.
“Sa Ganang Mamamayan” is a program of Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) aired over NET25 and Radyo Agila weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
