‘Not for show,’ Palace says of Duterte threat for BI personnel to eat ‘pastillas’ money rolls

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte will make good his threat to make over 40 erring Bureau of Immigration personnel implicated in the so-called “pastillas” scheme eat money-stuffed pastillas.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President wanted to send a message that he will go after corrupt officials in the remaining years of his term.

“I don’t think there is anything for show lang. The President is sending a message. Itigil ang korapsyon (Stop corruption),” Roque said in an online briefing.

“Kaya nga po ang pakiusap, kung gusto niyo yumaman, ‘wag kayo magtrabaho sa gobyerno, magtrabaho kayo sa pribado dahil sa susunod na dalawang taon, hindi po tatantanan ng Presidente ang mga corrupt. That is the message and that is a message very well received,” he added.

(That’s why the plea is, if you want to become rich, don’t work for the government. Work for the private sector. Because in the next two years, the President will not stop going after corrupt officials. That is the message and that is a message very well received.)

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In a video posted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, each BI personnel was offered by a Palace staff pieces of “pastillas,” a local sweet-milk delicacy rolled into paper, when they were summoned by the President in Malacañang Monday night.

But instead of edible sweets, Roque said the “pastillas” will have money inside.

“Ang nakuha ko pong impormasyon, kalma naman po ang Presidente noong siya’y pumasok doon sa kwarto kung saan naganap ang pagmi-meeting… Matapos po mabigyan ng tig-isang pastillas, ang sabi ng Presidente, kainin niyo ‘yan dahil ‘yan po ay may pera,” he said.

(From the information I got, the President was calm when he entered the venue of the meeting. After the personnel was given one pastillas each, the President said, eat that because that has money inside.)

“Pero hindi naman po nagpilit ang Presidente kasi nga po nandoon daw si Secretary of Justice Meynard Guevarra,” he added.

(But the President did not insist because Secretary of Justice Meynard Guevarra was there.)

The Ombudsman already placed 44 BI officials allegedly linked in the scheme on preventive suspension for six months.

The BI personnel were accused involved in the pastillas scheme, where foreigners bribe them in exchange for easy entry in the country.

The scam was named as such because the bribe money would be rolled in a bond paper like the wrapping of the Filipino milk candy of the same name.

EDV