Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) — The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss four Bureau of Immigration employees for their involvement in the “pastillas” scheme uncovered in early 2020.
In its decision released to the media on Tuesday, the CA Fifth Division denied the petitions filed by Deon Carlo Albao, Danieve Binsol, Fidel Mendoza, and Chevy Chase Naniong.
The petition of Grifton Medina, meanwhile, was partly granted as the court reduced his sanction to a six-month suspension from office due to lack of a direct statement constituting participation in the modus operandi.
\”Medina is found guilty of simple neglect of duty and ordered suspended from office for a period of six months without pay,\” the ruling read.
READ: Ombudsman indicts dozens of Immigration officers over ‘pastillas’ scam
In the scheme, unscrupulous immigration personnel allegedly allowed Chinese nationals to enter the country without background checks in exchange for grease money. It was dubbed the “pastillas” scam as the bribe would be hidden in rolled bond paper similar to a wrapped milk candy.
“It is public knowledge, and we take judicial notice, that the pastillas scheme caused such an uproar from the general populace. To the public, it appeared that the Immigration department unlawfully afforded special privilege to foreign nationals in exchange for money,” read the CA ruling.
