MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II is against Sen. Leila de Lima’s proposal for a Senate inquiry into the alleged P50-million extortion by dismissed Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials on Chinese gaming mogul Jack Lam.
The alleged extortion was intended to facilitate the release of more than 1,000 Chinese nationals arrested last November for illegally working in Lam’s online casino in Clark Field, Pampanga.
Aguirre explained that a Senate probe would no longer be necessary as various government agencies are already investigating the controversy.
“There’s no need for the Senate inquiry; it’s beating a dead horse,” he told reporters in a press conference.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) chief also laughed off De Lima’s claim that the parallel probes of the BI and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) lack credibility as both agencies are under Aguirre’s department and those involved, particularly dismissed BI deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, were close to him.
“The case is with the ombudsman already. Since she does admire the ombudsman very much, shouldn’t she just leave it with the ombudsman?” Aguirre stressed.
Aguirre also expressed belief a Senate inquiry would just put “political colors” to the extortion issue and that De Lima’s proposal seemed to be a mere “retaliation” to the NBI’s filing of drug trafficking and graft charges against her.
“She should just focus on the cases against her,” he said.
If De Lima insists on pushing for a Senate inquiry, Aguirre said the senator should be able to clearly justify the need for it and cite specific legislation she intends to pursue out of the controversy.
Aguirre also revealed that the NBI is still conducting its probe on the extortion scandal and has summoned Argosino and Robles, as well as BI commissioner Jaime Morente, dismissed BI intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr. and former police officer Wally Sombero, who supposedly served as Lam’s middleman.
Argosino, Robles and Calima have all been dismissed from the BI. They surrendered the P30 million and P18 million cash they respectively received from Sombero, who also surrendered P2 million.
Calima has filed plunder charges against Argosino and Robles before the Office of the Ombudsman. Argosino and Robles, on the other hand, filed criminal charges of corruption of public officials and violation of anti-wiretapping law before the Parañaque prosecutor’s office against Calima, Sombero and Lam.
Aguirre also revealed the Bureau of Internal Revenue may soon start investigating the tax liabilities of Lam’s illegal casino operations for purposes of sequestration of assets he left in the country.
The DOJ chief explained that the sequestration would be pursued should Lam fail to return to the country and settle his tax deficiencies, which was one of the conditions set by President Duterte before the Chinese tycoon would be allowed to return and continue his businesses here.
“I know that he sent feelers to the office of the President and Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.), but so far this year he hasn’t sent again any feeler to us that he would comply with the conditions set by the President,” Aguirre added.