Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that he ordered the bureau’s newly-reconstituted Board of Discipline (BOD) to “carefully assess complaints and reports against erring personnel.” He added that if found to have merit, the board should immediately recommend to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the filling of administrative cases against involved personnel.
“We do not tolerate corruption amongst our ranks,” said Morente in a statement. “In support of the President’s intensified drive against corruption, we have beefed up our Board of Discipline (BOD) to focus on cleaning up the Bureau.”
The BOD is headed by lawyer Ronaldo Ledesma, who previously served as the bureau’s officer-in-charge commissioner and deputy commissioner. The DOJ has also assigned five additional lawyers to the board.
The bureau said that 131 personnel have been suspended, dismissed, and dropped from the rolls for various offenses since 2016.
Several immigration personnel are facing charges for their involvement in the so-called “pastillas scheme”, which allows paid special treatment to Chinese nationals entering the country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 5) – The Bureau of Immigration announced on Thursday that it would implement a one-strike policy and will immediately relieve personnel who are subject of complaints and investigations as part of its intensified anti-corruption campaign.
