Aguirre says Lam’s man cleared him in extort rap

Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre at the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations’ second public hearing on the Jack Lam alleged bribery scandal. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Tuesday that Wally Sombero, a representative of casino mogul Jack Lam, had cleared him from any involvement in the alleged extortion of P50 million from Lam.

Sombero is accused of bribing sacked Deputy Immigration Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles for the release of Lam’s Chinese employees at Fontana hotel and casino in Clark Freeport, Pampanga province. The employees were arrested by immigration agents last November for illegally working in the country.

During a hearing of a Senate blue ribbon committee looking into the case, Aguirre disclosed that Sombero sent to him a text message of assurance under questioning by Sen. Leila de Lima. Sombero is in Singapore and was a no-show again when the committee resumed its hearings on Tuesday.

“Sir, for the record I’m watching the hearings. I have the same words as General (Charles) Calima had texted you. I’m clearing you of any knowledge of this extortion scandal,” Aguirre quoted Sombero as telling him.

He said Sombero told him that he would attend the next hearing set on Feb. 9 and that he had already sent a letter to the committee chair, Sen. Richard Gordon.

“We will see until he (Sombero) gets here,” Gordon said. “Sombero is the key person here, because he is the one whose been operating here for a long time.”

During the hearing, Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo said he sought protective custody for Sombero from the National Bureau of Investigation on Dec. 8 last year because Sombero claimed that he was being hunted by the chief of the Philippine National Police, Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa was said to be acting on the orders of President Duterte to arrest Lam and his associates for bribing Argosino and Robles.

NBI Director Dante Gierran confirmed Tulfo’s statement.

Director Augusto Marquez of the PNP Directorate of Investigation and Detective Management denied that there was such an order from Dela Rosa.

“We will go only after him (Sombero) if there was a warrant of arrest,” Marquez said.

Aguirre said the NBI placed Sombero under protective custody without informing him.