Immigration officials assigned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been relieved of their duties pending the results of a probe into an alleged scheme where Chinese nationals are given special treatment in exchange for a price—specifically, P10,000 rolled up in white paper.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente relieved the NAIA terminal heads and the chief of the travel control and enforcement unit on Tuesday on the principle of command responsibility, the bureau’s spokesperson, Dana Salvador, said.
On Monday, a Senate hearing exposed the scheme—called “pastillas” after the milk candy that is also wrapped in paper—taking place at the very gateway to our country.
The ruse is said to have started with the boom of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. While some POGOs are legitimate, many others operate illegally and have in fact given way to the distortion of real estate prices and even the proliferation of Chinese-only prostitution dens.
Dozens of corrupt employees have been removed from their posts since the start of the Duterte administration, the bureau says. This particular scheme, however, deserves closer scrutiny as it may also be happening in other airports and may involve officials of higher rank.
It’s an ingenious way to supplement their income, but we wonder how these so-called gatekeepers muster the gall to commit this while being the face of the Philippines in welcoming visitors. We do not think that such obvious get-rich-quick schemes would be difficult to identify at all, perhaps through a lifestyle check. After all, too many ten-thousand-peso rolls can amount to a lot, in the end.
The relief of those officials should not placate our collective indignation at how these public servants violate their sworn mandate for personal gain. This should only be the beginning.