Aguirre feels ‘betrayed’ following involvement of BI execs in extortion issue

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Tuesday he felt "betrayed" following the involvement of two Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials in the alleged extortion on gaming tycoon Jack Lam.  

Aguirre, through the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), has already launched a probe into claims that Immigration Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles received P50 million from Wally Sombero, a former police official who is linked to the Macau-based businessman. 

The money was supposedly in exchange for the release of 600 out of 1,316 undocumented Chinese workers caught engaged in illegal online gambling operations by BI operatives on November 24 at Lam-owned Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga. 

Argosino and Robles admitted receiving P48 million from Sombero on November 27 but said the money was part of the evidence on Lam's corrupt activities to protect his alleged illegal gambling business. 

“You felt betrayed. You felt that they were not following the order of the President (Rodrigo Duterte) to go after corruption,” Aguirre said at a press conference.

The justice chief, however, declined to comment on the veracity of the claims, which he learned from Sombero himself, pending the investigation on the issue. 

"Don't ask my opinion because I don't want to prejudge it. I don't want to make a prejudgment," Aguirre said, even as he already asked Duterte to relieve Argosino and Robles and other officials who might be involved from their posts. 

Fraternity brothers

He also assured of a fair probe into the extortion controversy despite admitting being "friends" with Argosino and Robles.

“Have trust in me. I will be fair, there will be no favors to anybody,” Aguirre said. 

Duterte, Aguirre, Argosino and Robles are members of the San Beda College of Law-based Lex Talionis Fraternitas, Inc.

Argosino and Robles, who have gone on a one-month leave, showed up at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over P30 million of the alleged bribe money for safekeeping. 

“We are accepting this (P30 million) but this is only for safekeeping of evidence or alleged evidence without prejudice to the ongoing investigation being made by the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and BI, and of course, by the DOJ,” Aguirre said.

The P30 million cash will be counted and deposited in a bank, according to Aguirre. 

As for the rest of the money, the BI officials claimed Sombero took P2 million while acting Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr. got P18 million supposedly to be shared to some individuals including Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente and newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo, who exposed the extortion allegation on Sunday. 

Tulfo has denied any involvement in the supposed sharing. — RSJ, GMA News