Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday commended the Sandiganbayan for its decision to drop the criminal charges against the whistleblower of the "pastillas" scam which has been linked to former officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
"I commend the decision of the Sandiganbayan to drop criminal charges against 'pastillas' scam whistleblower Jeffrey Dale Ignacio, and to admit him as state witness against high-ranking immigration officials involved in criminal activity," Hontiveros said.
"I thank the anti-graft court for heeding our previous calls to consider Jeffrey’s cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality — which I lead as chairperson — during our probe on the 'pastillas' scam in the Bureau of Immigration (BI)," the lawmaker added.
The Sandiganbayan has granted state prosecutors' motion to amend the criminal information removing Immigration Officer III Jeffrey Ignacio as one of the accused in the "pastillas" scam.
Ignacio was a self-confessed member of the "pastillas" group who eventually became a whistleblower. During the hearing, it was also revealed that Ignacio signed an immunity deal with the Office of the Ombudsman, and that he will not serve as a witness for the prosecution.
At least 50 former Immigration officials and employees on Friday pleaded not guilty to graft charges filed against them in connection with the said scam, which...
A new exchange of sharp political statements has emerged after US President Donald Trump made claims on Truth Social that were directly rejected by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghaliba...