Leila seeks probe of BI execs in bribery scandal

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Leila de Lima sought yesterday a Senate inquiry into the alleged bribery attempt by Chinese businessman Jack Lam on immigration officials in exchange for the release of some of the 1,316 Chinese working for his casino in Pampanga. 

De Lima filed Senate Resolution 258, urging the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to inquire in aid of legislation into the circumstances and facts surrounding the bribery scandal that has plagued the Bureau of Immigration (BI). 

The BI officials were reported to have received five paper bags allegedly containing P10 million each, or a total of P50 million, from Lam’s middleman, former police officer Wally Sombero, at the City of Dreams hotel and casino in Parañaque City. The incident was caught on closed-circuit television.

The officials were identified as BI commissioners Michael Robles and Al Argosino, law fraternity brothers of President Duterte in San Beda’s Lex Talionis.

Earlier, Aguirre himself admitted Lam had offered him P100 million a month in exchange for protection of his gambling businesses in the country. 

“If indeed Lam, through his middleman Wally Sombero, attempted to bribe Aguirre, why didn’t the latter effect right then and there a warrantless arrest of Sombero, the latter being in flagrante delicto, and thereafter promptly move to prevent Lam’s departure or escape from the country?” the senator said in her resolution.

“Simply put, there are too many nagging questions that necessitate a deeper independent probe by the Senate. We cannot just entrust such investigation to DOJ/NBI (Department of Justice/National Bureau of Investigation), which are both under Aguirre’s control. It’s like entrusting a wolf to guard the sheep,” she added. 

“This failure in law enforcement and immediate prosecution of Jack Lam and his cohorts has led the public to speculate on the real story behind this incident,” De Lima said. 

She claimed Aguirre’s “lackluster” and “lukewarm” action on Lam’s criminal offense is suspicious and worrisome, considering that he is the government’s top prosecutorial officer. 

Based on news reports, Lam successfully evaded government arrest by immediately leaving the Philippines after he reportedly bribed BI officials.

“(This) bribery scandal raises issues on the seriousness and/or capability of the government to enforce its anti-corruption laws in situations where those involved are personal friends of the appointing authority,” De Lima said. 

The former justice secretary said she believes anti-corruption laws should be revised and updated to deal with such cases of favoritism, where those involved in corruption turn out to be fraternity brothers of the disciplining and appointing authority.

“There is a need to review and update our anti-corruption laws to more effectively respond to situations where suspect public officials have a personal relationship to the appointing authority and the chief executor of the nation’s laws,” she said.