(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte met with several Bureau of Immigration officials and personnel involved in the so-called “pastillas scheme” on Monday night.
According to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, the President had intended to give the 44, who have been suspended by the Ombudsman pending a probe, a dressing down.
Guevarra said the President even gave each of the 44 a “pastilla,” but with money rolled inside, according to the President.
“He wanted them to eat the pastillas, but did not insist out of deference to the secretary of justice who was also present,” Guevarra said.
According to the justice secretary, the President said, “either you eat it or give it to the first beggar you see.”
He told the 44 in the short meeting that the cases have been filed and that they needed to face them.
“No one among the BI personnel dared to utter a word,” Guevarra said.
Under the pastillas scheme, authorities said immigration officials and personnel receive bribe money rolled into a paper in exchange for facilitating the entry of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese nationals.
The Ombudsman has suspended the officials and personnel implicated in the scheme for six months without pay.