October 14, 2025

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality has recommended the filing of criminal charges against individuals who were allegedly involved in the “pastillas” bribery scheme in the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Under the said scheme, Chinese nationals could seamlessly enter the country by paying P10,000. The modus “pastillas” was named after the Philippine dessert, because the bribe money was rolled up in bond papers.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the panel, on Wednesday released the executive summary of the committee report, which has yet to be signed by other senators who are members of the panel.

According to her report, the combined revenues from the pastillas kickbacks and visa upon arrival (VUA) scheme is estimated to be in the billions of pesos.

“It appears from the evidence that these revenue streams had been cornered by the father and son tandem of Maynardo Marinas and Marc Red Marinas, with other BI employees under their instruction and command,” Hontiveros said.

To recall, former BI-Ports Operation Division (POD) chief Marc Red Mariñas and his son, former Special Operations Communications Unit head Maynardo Mariñas, were cited in contempt after they were tagged by witness, Immigration Officer II Jeffrey Dale Ignacio, as “suppliers” of Chinese nationals in the alleged pastillas scam.

Marc Red Mariñas was tagged by Ignacio as the leader of the group running the pastillas scam. Mariñas, however, had earlier denied…

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