Philippines Government Institutes new $75k Bribe Visa Titled "Investment Visa"

[Allovertheworld 355]

10 hours ago, JonSeattle said:

Corruption? What corruption?

 

"There is corruption in every corner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). In the 'pastillas' scam, we estimate that its masterminds [pocketed] P30 billion, that's based on the arrival data of non-VUA Chinese nationals," she said partially in Filipino. "

 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/10/20/2051039/masterminds-behind-pastillas-scheme-pocketed-around-p40-billion-hontiveros-says

 

 

 

I saw that. BI just released a statement on FB regarding that.

 

 

[Allovertheworld 355]

11 hours ago, JonSeattle said:

Corruption? What corruption?

 

"There is corruption in every corner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). In the 'pastillas' scam, we estimate that its masterminds [pocketed] P30 billion, that's based on the arrival data of non-VUA Chinese nationals," she said partially in Filipino. "

 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/10/20/2051039/masterminds-behind-pastillas-scheme-pocketed-around-p40-billion-hontiveros-says

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

10 November 2020

New law solution for Pastillas woes – Morente

MANILA, Philippines—Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente sees that the passing of the new BI law is the solution to alleged corruption in the agency.

In a statement Tuesday morning, Morente bared that the solution to issues plaguing the BI is to update the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

“I have talked to the President and raised this concern to him as well. The Philippine Immigration Act is a very old law, 80 years old to be exact. It was enacted during a time when there were no international flight yet entering and leaving the country,” said Morente. “Many of its provisions are already outdated and inappropriate already,” he added.

According to Morente, solving corruption woes in the Bureau can be done in a three-tier approach.

“We have already done the first two,” said Morente. “The short-term solution is relieve all those found to have been involved in corrupt practices, hence we relieved all names implicated in the Pastillas issue, and implemented a one strike policy for anyone who tries to follow suit,” he stated.

Last week, Morente announced that he implemented a one-strike policy, and will relieve any employee subject of meritorious complaints or issues, pending the filing of appropriate administrative charges.

“The medium-term solution is reorganizing the system,” he shared. “To add layers of checks and balances, we have transferred the supervision of the Travel Control and Intelligence Unit and the Border Control and Intelligence unit under a different division. This will serve as a sort of audit to the actions of those in the Port Operations Division, and dismantles any semblance of a central control of possible illegal activities. It adds more eyes watching and auditing the activities of airport personnel,” he added.

Morente stressed that despite these changes, the real and long-term solution is the updating of the Philippine Immigration Act.

“We can remove people again and again, but the loopholes in the law remain. Quick wins may cure some symptoms in the anti- corruption drive but a responsive new Immigration law may yet cure systemic problems that breed corruption,” said Morente. “The new law, which is already in Congress, will answer salary woes, remove systemic issues, plug loopholes in policies, update fines and penalties, ensure division of power, and confer to the Commissioner the proper disciplinary powers,” he stated.

Morente earlier lamented having no disciplinary powers over BI men, as “the power to hire and fire” rests with the Secretary of Justice.

The BI Chief added that they are thankful to Congress for prioritizing the BI bill, and is praying for its immediate passage.

“We thank our lawmakers for the support in our move to modernize the Bureau, so that once and for all we can rid of systemic issues that remain because of outdated policies,” he stated.