NBI official arrested for allegedly accepting bribes from ‘pastillas gang’ members
MANILA, Philippines — An official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was arrested on Monday for allegedly accepting bribes from those involved in the purported “pastillas” modus within the Bureau of Immigration (BI), or the alleged illegal airport escort service catering to Chinese nationals.
During the Tuesday hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on the alleged scam, panel chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Atty. Janet Francisco, chief of the NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division, if it was true that the chief of the bureau’s legal assistance section was arrested.
“Confirmed ba na ‘yung pinuno ng NBI legal assistance bureau, si Joshua Paul Capiral, ay inaresto kagabi dahil sa pagtanggap ng bribes mula sa miyembro ng pastillas gang kapalit sa hindi pagsali sa kanila sa mga charges?” Hontiveros asked Francisco.
(Is it true that Joshua Paul Capiral, chief of the NBI legal assistance bureau, was arrested last night for accepting bribes from members of the pastilas gang in exchange for not including them in charges?)
“Opo, ma’am, vinerify ko po ‘yung information na ‘yan sa isang official ng legal service namin at kinonfirm na na-entrap nga po itong si Atty. Capiral,” Francisco said in response.
(Yes ma’am, I verified that information from one of our officials in the legal service who confirmed that Atty. Capiral was the subject of an entrapment yesterday.)
She said that a complaint will be filed against Capiral before the Department of Justice this Tuesday.
Hontiveros noted that the NBI has already filed a complaint against 20 individuals, composed of 19 BI officers and an owner of a travel agency, who are allegedly involved in the modus.
During the hearing, Senator Franklin Drilon described the arrest of Capiral as “very shocking,” adding that it “gives credence to the need for us to cleanup the Bureau of Immigration.”
“I would strongly recommend to the chair and committee that we should immediately recommend the top to bottom reorganization of the BI,” Drilon said.
“Ang kakapal ng mga mukha ng mga nasa BI eh. Nag-iimbestiga na nga, naglalagay pa para hindi masama sa kaso. I don’t know what is happening to us,” he added.
(Those in the BI are thick-faced. They are being investigated and yet they provide bribes so they can be excluded from the cases. I don’t know what is happening to us.)
