MANILA, Philippines—Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan dismissed as "mere scrap of paper" a memorandum sent by an association of immigration employees accusing him and four others of allowing 15 Indian nationals to enter the Philippines illegally in exchange for P15 million.

Libanan said he expected malicious attacks to be hurled at him following his campaign to weed out corrupt employees of the Bureau of Immigration.

"I will not be surprised that the people who have been hurt by our reforms will take actions against me," he said.

In a 15-page memorandum addressed to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the Bureau of Immigration Permanent Employees Association (BIPEA) alleged that the Indian nationals paid at least P15 million in exchange for the issuance of three-year multiple entry visas.

The group accused Libanan, Manuel Ferdinand C. Arbas, Clodualdo Penera, lawyers Charo Gonzales and Edgardo Mendoza of being behind the “unlawful” issuance of visas.

Since he assumed his post, Libanan said he instituted reforms to curb corrupt practices in the immigration bureau. As a result, he noted that the BI rose from 76 to seven and eventually to number four least corrupt government agency in the most recent Integrity Development Action Plan.

At the same time, Libanan said there was no employees group in the BI named BIPEA, noting that the only employees union at the bureau is the Buklod ng mga Kawani ng Bureau of Immigration (Union of Employees of the Bureau of Immigration).

Buklod, in a statement, denied lodging a complaint against Libanan and the four other immigration officials.