2 top BI officials in bribery/extort lying, say senators

Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations’ second public hearing on the Jack Lam alleged bribery scandal: CCTV showing Retired Police Senior Supt. Wenceslao Sombero Jr. (2nd from left), BID Associate Commissioner Atty. Michal Robles (blue shirt, 3rd from left), Robles’ brother (white shirt) Former BID Associate Commissioner Atty. Al Argosino (black, 5th from left). INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Incensed and incredulous, several senators on Tuesday confronted two former Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials for sticking with their story that they had split and taken home P50 million in bribes as “evidence” in a supposed investigation and case buildup, calling their narration outright lies.

At a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, lawmakers pounced on what they described as the incredible version of why former BI Associate Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, both fraternity brothers of President Duterte and other top administration officials, took home the cash purportedly from fugitive Chinese gambling tycoon Jack Lam.

The now dismissed BI officials maintained their story that they took the money as evidence, angering several senators who called their narrative fiction.

The committee chair, Sen. Richard Gordon, at one point shouted at Robles, urging him to tell the truth.

Argosino also broke down in tears, pleading for understanding.

In yet another point, Sen. Manny Pacquiao invoked God as he told the two men not to lie.

As Sen. Leila de Lima cited in her interpellation, the two former officials had been “caught red-handed.”

“It’s either both of you are too stupid or too corrupt. Stupid! Carrying bags, when you know that the CCTVs (closed circuit television) in that particular area are all over? You will play along just because you are investigating and you really have no authority to investigate?” De Lima told Argosino and Robles.

Displeasure

Sen. Joel Villanueva could not hide his displeasure, especially at Argosino, noting that he never spoke about his supposed “investigation” of Lam—if his alibi were indeed true—when he called for a hearing of the Senate labor committee on Dec. 7, 2016, to tackle the arrest of the tycoon’s illegal workers at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga province.

Argosino and Robles were captured on CCTV carrying bags of cash at a Parañaque City hotel in the early hours of Nov. 27.

The money handed over to them by retired police official Wally Sombero were allegedly in exchange for the release of more than 1,300 illegal Chinese workers at Lam’s gaming firms.

“We would not have reached this point if, during the Dec. 7 hearing, you disclosed this information,” Villanueva said, noting that BI officials do not have the authority to undertake investigations of the nature that Argosino had described.

In one of the most tense moments of the hearing, a ballistic Gordon censured Robles for giving testimony that he could not believe.

He said Robles was allowing himself to be played with, deferring to his fraternity senior (San Beda’s Lex Talionis) even when “a crime was being committed.”

“You know damn well and good, after you took the money, the following day, Argosino asked you to give him back the money, is that correct? So stop lying!” Gordon shouted at Robles.

Companion

Robles maintained that he knew nothing about the money and he just went to the hotel to accompany Argosino. He even brought along his brother.

“… [Y]ou were the reluctant partner, weren’t you? You don’t wanna be involved, don’t you? So you really didn’t want to get involved because you knew something was going on?” Gordon told a seemingly scared Robles.

“You knew what was going on, you didn’t do anything about it,” an infuriated Gordon said, in disbelief that a lawyer like Robles could be taken for a fool.

Explained Robles: “I was asking him, he had control. I was deferring to him, according to him he was conducting an investigation.”

“Are you trying to make me believe you’re stupid? Are you trying to convince me you’re stupid and that you’re not a reluctant passenger? Tell me!”

Robles struggled for a response: “Uh… I want to say… What will I say if you…Mr. Chair, he told me he was conducting an investigation. … He mentioned he was conducting an investigation of Jack Lam for violation of the human trafficking (act) because there are several minors that were arrested.”

“And you don’t want to report it? Come on! You are beginning to be a sap here. I’m not insulting you, I’m trying to help you. If you know what’s going on, say so because malinaw na sumasabay ka lang (you are just going with it)! Dapat magsalita ka na (You should start talking)!” Gordon said.

Long hours of waiting

Sen. Francis Escudero also questioned the two men why they would spend long hours waiting for someone when they were not sure of the agenda. At Robles, he asked: “You didn’t know who you were meeting. You didn’t know why and you waited for more than six hours?”

“How do you explain the interest, determination and strength to do that?” said Escudero, noting Robles’ earlier testimony that he had had a long day and was already tired when Argosino purportedly called to meet with him.

“My intention was only to accompany him. I didn’t want to just leave him,” Robles responded.

To which the senator replied: “What would convince us all that you did not know what was going on? It goes against human nature. You won’t do that unless you knew something. You were waiting for someone, or you wanted to get something,” he said.

When Escudero asked the same to Argosino, the latter got emotional.

CCTV footage

Argosino said he never expected to be offered money, even challenging senators to check the CCTV footage.

“Notice that I did not even carry the bags … I just let him (Sombero) put it in my car,” he said.

Argosino tried in vain to suppress his emotions, eventually breaking down.

“I am very sorry… Nobody filed a case against Jack Lam during the past administration… I hope you understand what we’re doing….We filed a case. We gave back evidence (alleged bribe money) we have,” he said.

“Sana naman ho ‘wag ‘yung ganitong lumalabas sa public na guilty na (I hope it won’t be like this where we already appear to be guilty),” he said, apologizing for letting his emotions out.