Marcos looking into BI corruption allegations
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he is looking into the corruption allegations within the Bureau of Immigration.
''Well, of course, we're looking at it. But, you know, mahirap mapag-aralan nang mabuti kung white paper na hindi napirmahan at saka walang specifics. But nonetheless, everything like this, we look into it, and we will continue to do that,'' Marcos told reporters in an ambush interview.
(But it's difficult to study a white paper carefully if it's not signed and doesn't have specifics.)
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado already denied corruption allegations in the bureau, including the supposed mishandling of cases related to the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country.
In a press statement, Viado dismissed as 'patently false' the accusations purportedly contained in a letter sent by BI employees to the President last week, wherein they supposedly accused the BI chief of corruption.
The BI employees — who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns of retaliation from Viado —mentioned in the letter the alleged corrupt practices under the present BI leadership including the supposed mishandling of POGO-related cases and their deportation.
Viado has dismissed the letter as part of a 'smear campaign.'
He also accused a senior BI official of fueling the propaganda after the BI chief supposedly rejected his request to release a Chinese national linked to a powerful political figure from the previous administration. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term
When his term of office finally comes to a close, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants his administration to be remembered as one that had an impact in improving the lives of Filipinos. In an interview on the BBM Podcast released Saturday, Marcos spoke about the need to make "tangible changes" for his countrymen under his watch. Asked about how he wants to be remembered, Marcos said: "We made a change for the better. This has been my guide in all the positions I've taken." "So, I absolutely insist that in 2028, when I leave this office, there are significant and tangible changes for the better in the life of each Filipino," Marcos said. Marcos is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress on July 28 at the halfway point of his six-year term. The SONA has been a platform for presidents to highlight past accomplishments, and to rally support from Congress to pass priority pieces of legislation. Marcos' fourth SONA will be held just two months after the 2025 midterm national and local elections. The President has expressed dismay with the poll results, saying these showed that Filipinos have grown tired of politics and that they do not feel government services. Promptly after making the pronouncement, Marcos ordered the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries to "realign" his administration "with people's expectations." This led changes at the helm of multiple government agencies, with Malacañang saying officials under the Marcos administration will undergo periodic reviews. "The worst thing that can happen is umupo ka doon sa posisyon mo, na nagsilbi ka, umalis ka, walang pinagbago," Marcos said. (The worst thing that can happen is you took on your post, you served, you left, and nothing changed.) West PH Sea Marcos was also asked how he would like to be remembered with regard to the territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. He said, "We did not yield. We continue to protect the sovereignty of the Republic. We continue to defend the territory of the Republic. And we continue to protect and defend the people of the Republic." Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, a vocal advocate of the Philippines' sovereignty, has described the issue as an "intergenerational struggle for Filipinos." Marcos has taken a stronger stance against China compared to his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte. His administration has sought to forge stronger military alliances with key allies, but this has not deterred China from taking aggressive actions against Philippine vessels in the contested waters. "Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-away. Pero huwag niyong binabangga 'yung mga mangingisda, hindi ba? Huwag niyo kaming hinaharang doon sa teritoryo namin. Iyon ipaglalaban talaga namin 'yan," Marcos said. (We are not picking a fight, but don't ram the boats of our fishermen. Don't block us in our territory. We will really assert our rights with these things.) "Because kung ibigay mo 'yan, bibigay mo ng– (Because of you give that,) like they say: You give them an inch, they will take a mile. So, you cannot allow it even the one inch," the President said. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Palace to Imee: San Juanico Bridge inspected only during Marcos admin
Malacañang on Friday underscored that it was only during the time of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. that the San Juanico Bridge would undergo rehabilitation. At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for reaction to the statement of Senator Imee Marcos criticizing the supposed lapses in maintaining the bridge that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. The senator even said perhaps she should have been the one who ran for President. Castro then said Imee has been a senator, so she should have known the budget of the previous administration for the San Juanico Bridge. ''Lumiliwanag po ba ang ambisyon ni Senator Imee Marcos? Well, anyway, naging senador po si mahal na Senadora Imee Marcos since 2019 at malamang po ay alam naman po niya ang naging budget ng dating administrasyon patungkol po dito sa San Juanico Bridge at apat na taon pong nagkaroon—kung hindi ako nagkakamali, apat na taon since 2018 up to 2022 ang administrasyong Duterte pero hindi nga po nagkaroon ng rehabilitation,'' she said. (Is the ambition of Senator Imee Marcos becoming clear? Anyway, Senator Imee became a senator in 2019 and for sure she knows the budget of the previous administration as regards the San Juanico Bridge and from 2018 to 2022, no rehabilitation was done.) Castro said it was only during the time of the Marcos administration that an inspection was conducted to check the state of the bridge. ''At dapat nga pong magpasalamat po tayo sa panahon po ngayon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. dahil nang nagkaroon ng inspection, doon lamang po nakita ang lawak na po ng danyos at dapat na kailanganing i-repair sa San Juanico Bridge,'' Castro said. (We should be thankful since it's during the time of President Marcos Jr. that an inspection was done to know the extent of damage to the San Juanico Bridge.) ''Sa panahon lamang po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ito nagkaroon talaga nang malaliman na pag-i-inspect para po makita na maaaring ito po ay hindi na magandang daanan at dangerous na po sa mga lumalakbay gamit po ang San Juanico Bridge,'' she added. (It's only during the time of President Marcos Jr. that a thorough inspection was made to see if it is still safe for travelers.) The recent assessment raised concerns about San Juanico Bridge's structural integrity. It temporarily prohibited vehicles weighing more than three tons from crossing the 2.16-kilometer bridge. Marcos issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to facilitate the repairs on the bridge. The President said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended depending on the circumstances.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Sara Duterte to skip Marcos' SONA? Palace says it's her choice
Malacañang said Friday it is Vice President Sara Duterte's choice if she prefers not to attend the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. next month. "Last year, hindi rin naman din po siya dumating. At sa ating pagkakaalam, siya po ay um-attend sa isang kasalan. So, kung hindi po siya a-attend ngayon, kahit siya po ay inimbita bilang Bise Presidente, again, choice niya po iyon," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing. (Last year, she also did not attend the SONA. She attended a wedding. So, if she will not attend the SONA this year, even if she's invited, that's her choice.) "At kung hindi niya po maririnig ang mga programa at kung ano po ang naging trabaho ng gobyerno at ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., hindi po na siguro natin kasalanan iyon. It's her choice," she added. (If she won't be able to hear the programs and the work done by the government and President Marcos Jr., that's not our fault. It's her choice.) Duterte will not be attending the fourth SONA of the President on July 28, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco revealed on Thursday. "We received this note [from her office] that she won't be attending this SONA," Velasco told reporters. Nonetheless, Velasco said the House remains prepared to receive the Vice President should she change her mind. He said that aside from a reserved seat, there will be a designated holding room for the Vice President and her immediate staff since she is considered as an institutional guest alongside heads of government agencies and justices of the Supreme Court. When she announced last year that she would not attend Marcos' third SONA, Duterte said she was appointing herself as the designated survivor. Marcos and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 national elections, campaigning on a message of unity across the country. Their relationship, however, has gone sour following investigations by the House of Representatives into the war on drugs under the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as the handling of confidential funds by offices under her leadership. In June 2024, the Vice President announced her resignation as education secretary and as vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). She now faces an impeachment trial in the Senate, which is expected to begin after the 20th Congress opens in July. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
