The Senate on Monday started its investigation into the alleged P50 million bribery incident involving personnel of the Bureau of Immigration.
Among those who invited by Senate blue ribbon committee chair Sen. Richard Gordon were former Bureau of Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr., and former Bureau of Immigrations commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles.
However, Jack Lam was a no-show at the hearing while Wally Sombero was in Singapore to seek medical treatment for an undisclosed condition.
“I realized that these allegations and the continued public interest on the issue has not abated; nay, they have escalated to a level where the stain on the accountability of public officers, including their integrity and image to the Filipino people has become wider, has become darker, and has remained persistent,” Gordon said, adding that the stench that has accompanied this scandal has become so “acrid and vile.”
Robles and Argosino admitted that they accepted the P50 million from gambling tycoon Jack Lam but said they would use it as “future evidence of corruption of public officials.”
However, Calima reiterated that he kept the P18 million of the P50 million allegedly given by Lam.
“It was for the release of illegal Chinese workers in Pampanga,” he explained.
He added that the other P2 million was given to retired police general Wally Sombero and that he turned over the remaining P30 million to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
Sombero also admitted to taking the P2 million from Lam; however, he said “it was for the 1,316 undocumented Chinese nationals” arrested at Fontana Leisure Park and Casino in Pampanga.
Meanwhile, Aguirre was also invited in the committee hearing along with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation executive officer Andrea Domingo.
It can be recalled that the Justice Secretary claimed that Lam attempted to bribe the Pagcor Chief.
Aguirre claimed that Lam attempted to pay him off during a meeting at Bonifacio Global City on November, two days after police arrested 1,316 Chinese nationals illegally working at his online gaming business.
“I told him ‘no’ in no uncertain terms that I do not want any part of that because we are serious in fighting corruption. If I accepted, which could easily mean P100 million a month, I would lose my moral authority to pursue the reforms ordered by the President,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre mentioned that Domingo told him about Lam’s attempt to bribe her to allow Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino at Clark to continue their operations while applying for a license and that Domingo was offered a 1 % cut of Lam’s casino earnings.
“Andrea lost all interest in talking to Lam after that. She just told Lam to pay the government’s 10-percent cut from his casino earnings and that he should first get a license before running online gaming operations in the country,” the justice secretary said.
Lam is accused of bribing BI officials after authorities raided his online gaming operations at the Fontana Leisure Park at the Clark Freeport and arrested 1,316 of his Chinese employees for allegedly working illegally in the country.
