Aguirre recommends termination of 2 BI execs

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has formally asked President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately terminate the two ranking officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who were accused of receiving P50-million bribe money from online gaming tycoon Jack Lam.

The two Deputy Commissioners, Al C. Argosino and Michael B. Robles, admitted they received P48 million of the P50-million from Lam last Nov. 27. They turned over to Aguirre P30-million. The P2 million, according to the two, went to retired Police General Wally Sombero while the P18-million went to Immigration Intelligence Chief Charles Calima.

Aguirre said the two officials told him that it was to help acquire the license for Lam’s online gaming business.

However, Sombero told Aguirre that the amount was for the release of the 600 of the arrested 1,300 Chinese working illegally at Lam’s Fontana Resort.

Aguirre said he learned that money changed hands only last week through Sombero.

In his letter to Duterte, Aguirre said “an act of impropriety or the appearance of an impropriety on the part of an officer or employee erodes the public’s trust and tarnishes the office occupied by the erring individuals.”

“Considering that the Constitution prescribes that Public Office is a Public Trust, government officials and employees are held in a pedestal by the people…In cases of officials whose offices are held in trust and confidence of the appointing authority, the separation of an erring official is made more apparent with the loss of such trust and confidence due to their failure to perform their respective duties beyond reproach,” said Aguirre.