No CCTV video to prove Wang Bo bribery try

SOME lawmakers were alarmed at the revelation in a congressional probe Tuesday that some closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the House of Representatives were not functioning.

This was uncovered in the House good government and public accountability committee hearing on the alleged bribery try of Chinese fugitive Wang Bo.

Reporter Christine Herrera, who first broke the story on Wang Bo’s alleged bribe money supposedly pocketed by some lawmakers, had asked the committee to present the CCTV videos of the supposed delivery of P440 million cash to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.’s office.

But the Sergeant-at-Arms, retired General Nicasio Radovan Jr., said the CCTV videos of the purported incident, which allegedly took place May 25-27, are no longer available.

Samuel Pandagani, chief of technical Security Unit/Internal Security Group of the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB), added that the CCTV cameras do not have enough capacity to record videos all day.

He said recorded videos from the CCTV cameras in the hallway to the Speaker’s office are deleted every five days to renew memory space.

Pandagani said in 2004, at least 40 CCTV cameras were installed, but only 33 are working.

In 2008, of the 32 additional cameras installed, only 30 are functioning now, he added.

Pandagani said the CCTV in 2005 used video home system (VHS) tapes. The House security converted to digital video recorders (DVR) in 2008.

Radovan said he has requested the purchase of a total system covering 300 CCTV cameras and that the Bids and Awards Committee has convened once for the request.

“I’m quite confident this would be approved. It would be composed of 300 cameras,” Radovan said.

Congressmen were alarmed to learn that they are not quite safe in the House of Representatives.

“To think that we are one of the most vital institutions in the country. It should have the best equipment that we can afford,” said Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, a former police regional director.

Alliance of Volunteer Educators Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay said the use of VHS tapes is “technologically backward” at best.

Abakada Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz said it is quite “alarming to have a system that cannot record our activities or the activities of the people visiting the House.”

1-BAP Rep. Silvestre Bello, a former Justice Secretary, asked his colleagues to discuss the issue of non-functioning CCTVs in an executive session because the hearing could “unnecessarily expose security deficiencies of the House of Representatives.”

Security was supposed to have been tightened since the November 2007 Batasan Pambansa bombing, which killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and five other House employees. The blast that occurred at the parking lot near the House South Wing was believed to have originated from a bomb planted in a parked motorcycle.

The House probe on the bribery try stemmed from The Standard report, which alleged that P440 million were allocated to pay off the 292 lawmakers in the lower chamber for their vote for the proposed Bangsamoro basic law.

The newspaper report said the funds came from Wang Bo, who also allegedly paid the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Associate Commissioners Gilberto Repizo and Abdullah Mangotara P100 million to secure his release after the BI initially ordered his deportation for allegedly leading an online gambling scheme.

Wang Bo allegedly contributed to the campaign kitty of the Liberal Party for the 2016 elections. Repizo and Mangotara are said to be the contacts in the BI of LP Treasurer Alfonso Umali.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has cleared the BI and the House of Representatives from the bribery allegation. In its initial report submitted to the committee, the NBI said it found no evidence that the Immigration officials and lawmakers received bribe money from Wang Bo.

Wang Bo allegedly embezzled $100 million and is suspected of opening casinos for transnational gambling.