‘Pastillas’ whistleblower in WPP custody – DOJ

Immigration Officer 1 Allison Chiong tells all at the Senate hearing on POGO operations. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler
Immigration Officer 1 Allison Chiong tells all at the Senate hearing on POGO operations. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

MANILA – Allison Chiong, the immigration officer who identified officials and personnel allegedly involved in the “pastillas” scheme, is now under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

DOJ secretary Menardo Guevarra said Chiong was admitted to the WPP upon the recommendation of Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen.  Risa Hontiveros but will still be up for evaluation.

Chiong testified at a Senate hearing on the “pastillas” scheme on Thursday. He said Chinese casino high-rollers and offshore gaming operation workers allegedly skipped the usual immigration process for a fee.

“We took him in upon the request of Senator Hontiveros and the Senate President due to security concerns,” Guevarra said. “He will be evaluated thoroughly by the WPP before he could be considered for full coverage.”

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier placed on floating status 19 personnel mentioned in the Senate hearing, following a directive by President Rodrigo Duterte to relieve from their posts the persons allegedly involved in the modus.

“If the BI wants greater autonomy, the solution is to amend our existing immigration law. In the meantime, the BI leadership should exert greater efforts to address the culture of corruption in the bureau,” Guevarra said.

Chiong said during the Senate hearing that immigration officers offered VIP services – in exchange for P2,000 for each high-roller when the DOJ removed their overtime pay in 2012.

Chiong identified Traffic Control Enforcement Unit officers Bien Guevarra, Glenn Comia and Den Binsol as among the current and former immigration officials in the “pastillas” scheme.

He said these officials were under Ports Operation Division chief Red Mariñas, who ran and lost as Muntinlupa City mayor in the 2019 midterm elections.

Chiong also mentioned Totoy Magbuhos, Deon Albao alias Nancy, Paul Borja alias Lisa, Anthony Lopez alias AL, and Dennis Robles DR.

He claimed that immigration officers received through Viber, a messaging app, a list of names of Chinese nationals who were to be allowed entry “without question or investigation.”

Chiong also said that the Viber group was deleted when the NBI started investigating and was replaced with a system where immigration officers brought each Chinese national to a holding area of the travel control and enforcement unit, there the name would be checked with a “master list.”

If the name is on the list, the Chinese national would be allowed entry without further screening or profiling./PN

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