Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — A former Immigration official caught at the center of a multi-million peso extortion scandal on Tuesday, decried the absence of charges filed against gaming tycoon Jack Lam.
“Wala pong nagfile kay Jack Lam ng corruption ng public officials (No one filed a case against Jack Lam relating to the corruption of public officials),” an emotional former deputy immigration commissioner Al Argosino told senators, during a probe on alleged corruption at the Bureau of Immigration.
Argosino broke down as he denied extorting millions of pesos from Lam’s group in exchange for the release of over 1,300 illegal Chinese workers who were arrested from Lam’s casino in Clark, Pampanga on November 24.
“Not once po ako humingi ng pera (Not once did I ask for money)… This is a corruption of public officials,” Argosino said.
He insisted it was Lam’s team who bribed him and his fellow deputy commissioner, Michael Robles, with ₱50 million. He said they took the money as evidence in an investigation they were conducting on the Macau-based businessman.
“Binalik namin ho yung whatever evidence that we have. Sana naman ho wag ho yung ganitong pinapakita sa public na guilty na ho kami (We returned whatever evidence that we have. We hope we are not portrayed as guilty before the public),” Argosino said.
He was referring to almost ₱30 million they turned over to authorities on December 13. This is part of the ₱50 million they earlier admitted to receiving from Lam through his associate Wally Sombero. The ₱2 million eventually went to Sombero, while the rest of the ₱18 million were pocketed by former Bureau of Immigration intelligence chief, retired General Charles Calima, they said.
Calima, however, said he only took the money as part of counter-intelligence operations against the former deputy commissioners.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre admitted no charges have been filed against Lam in relation to the alleged bribery. He said the Justice Department’s cybercrime division has so far filed only an illegal gambling case–against the undocumented Chinese nationals working in Lam’s illegal online gambling business.
Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code states that “the same penalties imposed upon the officer corrupted, except those of disqualification and suspension, shall be imposed upon any person who shall have made the offers or promises or given the gifts or presents.”
Neither Lam nor Sombero were present during the hearing.
Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee which investigates cases involving public officials and government employees, threatened to cite Sombero in contempt if he fails to attend the next legislative inquiry.
No authority to investigate Lam?
Senator Francis Escudero questioned Argosino’s claim he and Robles were investigating Lam. He asked them if it was part of their job description.
Argosino said he felt obligated to investigate Lam’s violations of the anti-human trafficking law, since he had “personal knowledge” about the illegal hiring of minors and undocumented Chinese workers in the latter’s casino.
But Robles admitted: “There is no authority under the law giving us that kind of power.”
Senator Leila De Lima told an emotional Argosino that she understands how it feels to be wrongly accused, but said she is not convinced of his innocence.
“Wala naman talaga kayong (You really do not have) authority to investigate,” De Lima said.
The Bureau of Immigration website, however, lists as one of the Board of Commissioners’ functions the “investigation, arrests and detention of foreigners in violation of immigration regulation and other Philippine laws.”
Argosino and Robles were part of the board along with Commissioner Jaime Morente. But they resigned on December 16 when they learned the controversy reached President Rodrigo Duterte.
Gordon to Robles: Man up
Senators Escudero and Gordon both said Robles seems like an “unwilling accomplice” to his senior fraternity brother, Argosino. The embattled public officials are both members of the San Beda College of Law’s Lex Talionis Fraternitas, Inc., along with Aguirre and Duterte.
Robles admitted he reluctantly agreed to go with Argosino to meetings with Sombero on November 26 and 30 out of “courtesy.”
“Sa tingin ko, sa totoo lang hindi ka naman talaga kasabwat dito nadamay ka lang (I think the truth is you are not an accomplice, you were just implicated),” Escudero said, urging Robles to tell all so that he could be free of charges.
Gordon, however, hit Robles for staying mum despite the anomalies he was seeing. “Man up,” Gordon told Robles.
Robles maintained, he never saw or heard Argosino extorting money from Lam’s group.
Calima accused the two of demanding a total of ₱150 million from Lam’s group, based on information from Sombero.
