Sandigan justice inhibits from ex-BI commissioners' cases

MANILA, Philippines — The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan will be holding another raffle for the plunder, graft and direct bribery cases against former Immigration commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles.

The re-raffle comes after the head judge of the court's Fourth Division, which was originally chosen to handle the cases, decided to inhibit.

In his letter dated March 28, addressed to Sandiganbayan Presiding Judge Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Fourth Division chairman Alex Quiroz said he is inhibiting from handling the cases as he is "an acquaintance of one of the accused therein."

"The inhibition, when granted,, will deter suspicious of impropriety or partiality," Quiroz said in his letter.

Under the internal rules of the Sandiganbayan, the inhibition of a division chairman is tantamount to the re-raffling of a case to another court division.

In a handwritten note, Tang informed the Sandiganbayan Judicial Records Division that the Sandiganbayan En Banc had already approved Quiroz' request. Tang directed the Judicial Records Division to hold another raffle of the cases on April 6 at 11 a.m. with the exclusion of the Fourth Division.

Quiroz, an appointee of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, did not name in his letter the accused with whom he had an “acquaintance”.

But aside from Argosino and Robles, also named as respondent in the plunder, graft and direct bribery cases was retired police officer Wenceslao "Wally" Sombero, Jr. 
Macau-based gambling tycoon Jack Lam, meanwhile, was named a co-accused in the case of violation of Presidential Decree 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts, presents or money from a private person .

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on March 23, all the cases stemmed from Argosino and Robles' alleged receipt of a total of P50 million in bribe money from Lam in exchange for the release of 1,316 Chinese nationals working at Lam's Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga.

The Chinese nationals were arrested by the BI on November 24, 2016 for charges of overstaying and violations of immigration laws.

Based on the charge sheets, the bribe money was received by Argosino and Robles on November 27, 2016 in two tranches – the first one amounting P20 million was supposedly received at about 2 a.m. and the second at 5:45 a.m.

The ombudsman said the handing of bribe money took place at City of Dreams Hotel and Casino in Parañaque and was facilitated by Sombero who was then the president of Asian Gaming Service Providers Association, Inc.

Plunder is a non-bailable offense if proven by the prosecution that the evidence against the accused is strong.