Gordon not keen on Sombero being placed under Witness Protection Program

Senator Richard Gordon is not keen on seeing retired police official Wenceslao "Wally" Sombero placed under the government's witness protection program, despite the latter's claim about threats to his life if he appears in the Senate probe on the P50-million bribery controversy in the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“No, wala muna tayo diyan sa Witness Protection Program. I don't give that very freely,” Gordon said in a Balitanghali interview on Tuesday.

Sombero, an alleged middleman of gaming tycoon Jack Lam, arrived back in the Philippines on Tuesday morning from Vancouver, Canada, two days before his expected appearance at the Senate blue ribbon inquiry.

Gordon said Sombero’s return and testimony will shed more light on their investigation into the BI bribery controversy.

“Mabuti't umuwi siya sapagkat kung hindi siya umuwi ay mahihirapan tayong ipaliwanag 'yung kanyang sitwasyon, siya mismo ang maiipit,” Gordon said.

“Ngayon, nandiyan na siya, malalaman natin kung sino talaga ang humihingi ng suhol o nagbibigay ng suhol or nag-eextort. Marami pa siyang ipapaliwanag eh,” he added.

Sombero has accused dismissed BI deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles of extorting P50 million from the gaming tycoon in exchange for the release of illegal Chinese workers at Lam's casino and leisure park in Clark, Pampanga.

The two sacked BI officials have repeatedly denied the accusations, saying they took the money as part of their investigation on Lam. — Erwin Colcol/MDM, GMA News