Probe underway on officer who OK’d passport of overstaying Chinese man

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) launched a probe after learning that one of their immigration officers cleared the passport of a Chinese man despite overstaying, its chief Joel Anthony Viado said on Wednesday.

Viado said the passport of Zhang Chao, 31, was marked cleared by one officer despite him being unable to properly extend his visa.

“He was found to have been processed by an immigration officer who we suspect facilitated his illegal departure,” Viado said in a statement.

READ: ‘Pastillas scheme’ bribe takers got P40 billion from Chinese – Hontiveros

Zhang was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Feb. 24, attempting to board a Malaysian Airways flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The Chinese man, who was found to have overstayed for two months, was then turned over to the BI’s legal division for booking and initiation of deportation proceedings. He will remain in the BI’s facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig while his deportation remains pending.

“We have initiated an investigation on this matter, and will recommend to the Department of Justice to file the appropriate case against the said officer,” Viado also said, adding that the bureau has a one strike policy against erring personnel.

In 2020, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said corrupt immigration officers have pocketed some P40 billion in bribe money since 2017 by facilitating the entry of Chinese nationals or assisting their departure at the airport.

This was facilitated through a pastillas scheme—so-called because the bribe money is rolled in white wrapper like the milk candy—involved BI officers who allowed the smooth entry of Chinese nationals to the country in exchange for a P10,000 “service fee.”

Many of them intended to work for Philippine offshore gaming operators, which used to be legal in the country before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered its ban last year. —with reports from Sheba Barr, INQUIRER.net trainee