“We are close to getting the whole picture and we can already include the so-called bosses,” NBI Special Action Unit (SAU) chief Emeterio Dongallo Jr. said in a radio interview. “We are conducting an initial check of employees’ assets and basic salaries of those accused of involvement in the pastillas racket,” Dongallo said. Last month, the NBI filed cases in the Ombudsman against 19 immigration officers allegedly involved in the racket. But Chiong told a Senate hearing on Sept. 22 that the bosses of the pastillas scam were not included in the charges. He identified Marc Red Mariñas, chief of the Ports Operations Division, and his subordinate, Erwin Ortañez, chief of the Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU), as the ringleaders.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 22, 2020 21:33 UTC