The Department of Justice (DOJ) said a reinvestigation is possible if there is evidence that there was fixing in the earlier probe into the Bureau of Immigration (BI) bribery scheme.

“If there is evidence that the previous investigation may have been compromised, a reinvestigation may be conducted,” Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete told reporters on Tuesday, September 22.

This followed a revelation made at the Senate on Tuesday that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested in an entrapment operation its own legal assistance chief Joshua Paul Capiral for allegedly interceding in the NBI investigation into the scheme.

Earlier this month, the NBI filed graft complaints against 19 officers of the BI over the so-called pastillas scam, where foreigners, mostly Chinese nationals, allegedly bribe their way into entering the country.

Senate investigations had revealed the scam allowed unchecked – some illegal – entries of Chinese to our borders to become Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) workers.

On Tuesday, NBI anti-human trafficking chief Janet Francisco said Capiral was arrested for allegedly excluding people from the NBI complaint. The NBI is set to file a complaint too against Capiral.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said they will cooperate with the NBI to identify more corrupt officials within the bureau.

Both the BI and the NBI are attached agencies of the DOJ.

“We will continue to pursue our campaign against BI personnel engaged in corrupt activities in coordination with NBI and other law enforcement agencies in support of President Duterte’s desire to cleanse the agency,” Morente said in a statement on Tuesday.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon called for something more drastic: the reorganization of the bureau.

Whistleblower Allison Chiong told the Senate on Tuesday the NBI complaint did not include the big fish.

Morente said some sections and divisions had already been revamped.

“In fact, we have already relieved the names that were mentioned in the hearing, as well as implemented a system-wide reorganization,” said Morente. – Rappler.com