Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday raised the possibility that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II was also interested in the multi-million-peso bribe gaming tycoon was allegedly offering government officials.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the issue, Trillanes quizzed dismissed Immigration Associate Commissioner Al Argosino about the meeting on November 26 where Aguirre was said to have been asked to protect Lam's online gambling business.
The offer was reportedly made by retired police official Wally Sombero, a poker enthusiast and the alleged middleman of Lam, at a hotel in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Aguirre had said he rejected the offer in the presence of Lam, his two interpreters, Sombero, and Argosino.
Trillanes told Argosino, "Ang sinabi mo, sinabi ni Secretary Aguirre sa inyo nung tumayo na siya, na Attorney Argosino, ikaw na ang bahala."
Argosino said Aguirre was already offended by Sombero's alleged attempt to corrupt the justice secretary.
"Ang sinabi po niyang yan kasi na-offend na si Secretary Aguirre kasi nga kino-corrupt po ni Sombero. So umalis po siya tapos sinabi po niya nandiyan si Attorney Argosino. Kayo na ang mag-usap," the former BI official said.
But Trillanes appeared unconvinced, as he insinuated that what Aguirre meant was Argosino had to deal with Lam's camp on his behalf.
"Hindi kaya ang interpretation nun, ikaw na yung tao. You're the representative of Secretary Aguirre. That it is, kayo na ang bahala," the senator said.
Argosino disagreed. "Hindi ho ganun ang tingin ko," he said.
Senators earlier took turns in grilling Argosino and former Associate Commissioner Michael Robles, as well as former BI intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr., over how the money intended for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers at Lam's Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino changed hands.
Argosino and Robles 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 Sombero, at a hotel in Parañaque City on November 27, three days after the raid on Fontana.
The two admitted to accepting the money supposedly to be used as future evidence of corruption inside the BI.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the issue, Trillanes quizzed dismissed Immigration Associate Commissioner Al Argosino about the meeting on November 26 where Aguirre was said to have been asked to protect Lam's online gambling business.
The offer was reportedly made by retired police official Wally Sombero, a poker enthusiast and the alleged middleman of Lam, at a hotel in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Aguirre had said he rejected the offer in the presence of Lam, his two interpreters, Sombero, and Argosino.
Trillanes told Argosino, "Ang sinabi mo, sinabi ni Secretary Aguirre sa inyo nung tumayo na siya, na Attorney Argosino, ikaw na ang bahala."
Argosino said Aguirre was already offended by Sombero's alleged attempt to corrupt the justice secretary.
"Ang sinabi po niyang yan kasi na-offend na si Secretary Aguirre kasi nga kino-corrupt po ni Sombero. So umalis po siya tapos sinabi po niya nandiyan si Attorney Argosino. Kayo na ang mag-usap," the former BI official said.
But Trillanes appeared unconvinced, as he insinuated that what Aguirre meant was Argosino had to deal with Lam's camp on his behalf.
"Hindi kaya ang interpretation nun, ikaw na yung tao. You're the representative of Secretary Aguirre. That it is, kayo na ang bahala," the senator said.
Argosino disagreed. "Hindi ho ganun ang tingin ko," he said.
Senators earlier took turns in grilling Argosino and former Associate Commissioner Michael Robles, as well as former BI intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr., over how the money intended for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers at Lam's Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino changed hands.
Argosino and Robles 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 Sombero, at a hotel in Parañaque City on November 27, three days after the raid on Fontana.
The two admitted to accepting the money supposedly to be used as future evidence of corruption inside the BI.
Source: gmanetwork
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