Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II has denied the claim of retired Chief Supt. Wally Sombrero that he is an asset of the Department of Justice.
“Not true,” said Aguirre, adding that Sombrero was only a resource person regarding Small Town Lottery.
Aguirre suspects that Sombrero is trying to scramble whatever defense he could fabricate to absolve himself from the alleged R50-million payoff to Bureau of Immigration officials by Macau-based casino tycoon Jack Lam. “Nagkakagulo na ang depensa nila,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre also denied Sombrero’s claim that he filed graft complaints against the BI officials last Friday for allegedly receiving R50 million from Lam on the Justice Secretary’s advice.
Sombrero filed the charges three days after the BI officials lodged complaints before the Paranaque City Prosecutor’s Office against Sombrero, Lam, and several others for corruption of public officials and violating the Anti-Wire Tapping Law.
The Immigration officials – Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles – allegedly received P50 million from Sombrero last November 27 inside the City of Dreams Hotel and Casino in Pasay City for the release of some of the 1,316 illegally working Chinese who were arrested in Lam’s Fontana Leisure Park and Casino Hotel in Clark, Pampanga recently.
Argosino and Robles said that Sombrero took P2 million as bonus while dismissed Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr. received P18 million through blackmail.
Argosino and Robles have turned over the P30 million they received from Sombrero to Aguirre. (Jeffrey G. Damicog)