Hontiveros' panel recommends filing of criminal raps vs. 'pastillas scam' personalities

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality has recommended the filing of criminal charges against individuals who were allegedly involved in the “pastillas” bribery scheme in the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Under the said scheme, Chinese nationals could seamlessly enter the country by paying P10,000. The modus "pastillas" was named after the Philippine dessert, because the bribe money was rolled up in bond papers.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the panel, on Wednesday released the executive summary of the committee report, which has yet to be signed by other senators who are members of the panel.

According to her report, the combined revenues from the pastillas kickbacks and visa upon arrival (VUA) scheme is estimated to be in the billions of pesos.

“It appears from the evidence that these revenue streams had been cornered by the father and son tandem of Maynardo Marinas and Marc Red Marinas, with other BI employees under their instruction and command,” Hontiveros said.

To recall, former BI-Ports Operation Division (POD) chief Marc Red Mariñas and his son, former Special Operations Communications Unit head Maynardo Mariñas, were cited in contempt after they were tagged by witness, Immigration Officer II Jeffrey Dale Ignacio, as "suppliers" of Chinese nationals in the alleged pastillas scam.

Marc Red Mariñas was tagged by Ignacio as the leader of the group running the pastillas scam. Mariñas, however, had earlier denied knowledge of the bribery scheme.

In relation to the pastillas scam, the committee recommended the filing of criminal charges against the Mariñases for alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, including but not limited to violations of RA 9208, RA 7080 or the law on plunder, RA 6713 or the law on Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and other special laws.

Apart from the Mariñases, the committee also recommended charges against the following individuals:

Alleged Viber group administrators:

• Gabriel Estacio
• Ralph Ryan Garcia
• Phol Villanueva
• Abdul Fahad Calaca
• Danilo Deudor
• Marc Macababad
• Cherie Pie Ricolcol
• Abdulhafez Hadjibasher
• Amboy Lucero
• George Bituin
• Salahudin Pacalda Hadjinoor

Alleged Chinese “suppliers”:

• Glenn Ford Comia
• Deon Carlo Albao
• Rodolfo Magbuhos
• Anthony Lopez
• Danieve Binsol
• Dennis Robles
• Bradford Allen So
• German Robin

Alleged enforcers and “Boss”:

• Erwin Ortañez
• Benlado Guevara
• Arlan Medoza
• Fidel Mendoza
• Jonatahan Orozco
• Grifton Medina

The committee also recommended charges against Danieve Binsol, Dimple Mahyumi Mallari, Marc Red Mariñas, Maynardo Mariñas, Grifton Medina, and Arlan Mendoza over their alleged failure to file their respective statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).

Aside from criminal charges, the Hontiveros-led panel also recommended that the named individuals be permanently disqualified from holding appointive and elective office.

Furthermore, the committee wanted former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to be held liable over the issuance of Department Order No. 41 which allegedly allowed the father and son tandem to have “wide discretion” over the approval of VUAs.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue was also asked to conduct a tax audit of travel agencies involved in the said anomalies in the BI.

Lastly, the panel recommended the crafting of an amendatory law which will allow “greater checks and balance mechanisms within the BI Bureaucracy.”

The BI welcomed the Senate panel's report, saying it was a step forward to achieving justice and eliminating corruption among personnel.

“We trust the wisdom of the Senate on the decision to recommend the filing of charges against said personnel and pray that cases filed against them be heard and resolved swiftly,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a message to GMA News Online.

During the two-year investigation into the matter, the committee found that there is a “clear link” between the rise of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry and the increase of prostitution and human trafficking cases.

The panel also noted labor trafficking in the case of a Taiwanese national by the name of Lai Yu Cian who was recruited to work in an advertising company in the Philippines but was later on transferred to a POGO company.

In November 2020, the National Bureau of Investigation Special Action Unit recommended to the Ombudsman the filing of criminal and administrative charges against 86 personalities who were allegedly involved in the pastillas scheme.

In February 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte relieved from their posts the BI officials and employees allegedly linked to the scheme. —With a report from Joahna Lei Casilao/KG/VBL, GMA News