Senator Grace Poe. PHOTO FROM SENATOR POE’S OFFICE
The P50-million bribery scandal allegedly involving immigration officials only showed that “corruption is alive and well” under the Duterte administration, Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday.
Poe said this when asked over ABS-CBN News Channel’s morning show, “Headstart,” about her opinion on the ongoing Senate probe on the issue.
“That corruption is alive and well. Even under this administration, there are still people protecting each other’s friends and interest,” she said.
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The Senate blue ribbon committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon has been investigating allegations that gambling tycoon Jack Lam, through his representative Wally Sombero Jr., had given former Bureau of Immigration (BI) Associate Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles P50 million in exchange for the release of undocumented Chinese workers at his casino hotel in Pampanga.
After repeated failure to attend the probe, Sombero is finally expected to appear before the committee, which is scheduled to resume its hearing on Thursday.
“You know, the Senate is there to bring out the truth and also for the public to be able to witness it and weigh in on the situation because it can’t be done in the courts,” Poe said.
READ: Video of 2 former BI execs taking bribe shown at Senate
“But the Senate can’t send those people to jail. We can only file a committee report, calling on the Sandiganbayan or the Ombudsman, etc (to file cases against certain people). So these people (have to be)—whoever is responsible—should be thrown in jail, otherwise, it will not discourage others from committing the same crimes,” she added. IDL/rga