Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II INQUIRER / JOAN BONDOC
The three sacked Department of Justice (DOJ) employees have been slapped with criminal charges after confessing to have falsified documents to facilitate visas of six Chinese nationals for large sums of cash, the DOJ confirmed on Saturday.
DOJ spokesman Usec. Erickson Balmes disclosed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already filed a case against the three employees for falsification of papers in violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code against the employees.
“I have been told that the NBI has filed a case before the DOJ against the terminated employees for falsification under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code,” Balmes said in a text message to reporters.
The penalty of prison mayor and a fine not exceeding P5,000 would be imposed against any government worker taking advantage of their official position to falsify a document.
The three employees, identified as job order employee Cyruz Morota, executive assistant Abvic Ryan Maghirang and administrative aide Shigred Erigbuagas, confessed to DOJ and NBI officials of their acts, said DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
READ: Aguirre fires 3 DOJ employees in foreigners’ visa anomaly
The criminal act began sometime in September 2017 but was only reported to Balmes’ office on February 1, Thursday, Aguirre said.
“During the course of the investigation by the agents of the NBI, it was determined that a spurious letter containing the forged signature of Usec. Balmes with a fake stamp as received marking of the Office of the Commissioner, Bureau of Immigration dated December 18, 2017, was presented by the perpetrators to the Chinese nationals as proof that their respective quota visa applications have been filed,” the DOJ chief disclosed.
“Upon learning of the entirety and gravity of the acts committed, Usec. Balmes immediately called me and recommended two things: that the services of all the involved DOJ personnel be terminated and that an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order [ILBO] be issued against all of them,” he added.
Persons under the ILBO are barred from leaving the country until they secure an “allow departure order” from the DOJ.
“Let this serve as a warning to all, no act of corruption will be tolerated while I serve as your steward of the Department of Justice. The dividends of corruption will be prosecution,” Aguirre said. /jpb