Trillanes drags Duterte into BI bribery scandal

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday dragged President Rodrigo Duterte into another controversy – this time involving the reported P50 million bribery-extortion scandal at the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Trillanes, citing his own information, said  Duterte was the “President” being referred to  by former  BI Associate Commissioner  Al Argosino  in his  two messages to former   police officer  Wenceslas “Wally” Sombero Jr.

It was  Sombero, who allegedly handed the money to Argosino and former BI Associate Commissioner Michael Robles last November  27, supposedly in exchange for the release of arrested workers at businessman Jack Lam’s casino hotel in Clark, Pampanga.

“Base sa aking impormasyon, ang President na tinutukoy  ni Argosino sa kanyang text messages ay si President Duterte mismo,”  Trillanes told reporters

(Based on my information, the President being referred to by Argosino in his text messages is President Duterte.)

During the ongoing hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Trillanes asked about Sombero’s own affidavit where the latter attached a copy of his exchange of messages with Argosino.

One text from Argosino to Sombero  reads: “Very good! Proceed as planned. I’am arranging a meeting with with a person with very good connection with the President. I may bring him to you and Jack Lamb (sic) for discussion. Confidential lang po muna please.”

Asked whether he believes the President  might have knowledge about the alleged extortion try against Lam, Trillanes said: Yes, based dito sa nangyayri na ito kasi hindi mangyayari lahat  ito kung walang imprimatur ng Presidente…”

(Yes, based on what’s happening now because this scandal will not happen without the President’s  imprimatur.)

The senator also believes that the President, through Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, was going after Lam to favor another businessman, Kim Wong.

Wong is the same person implicated  in the $81 million money-laundering scandal last  year.

READ: Wong names 2 foreigners

Wong’s name cropped up during the hearing  when the committee chair, Senator Richard Gordon, asked  if it was true that the businessman  was given 20 permits by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor) to operate offshore gaming in the country.

Responding to Gordon’s query, Pagcor’s representative told the committee that Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. reportedly owned by Wong’s son, was the only company that was granted  permits by the agency.

Trillanes pointed out why Pagcor granted more than 30 online gaming licenses when the President had already ordered the closure  of all online gambling firms.

READ: Duterte orders closure of all online gaming firms

“You don’t have to be a genius  to piece these things together. Dito lang kasi, it’s unfortunate dito sa hearing na ito nakatutok dun sa mga galamay lang e,” the senator said.

(It’s unfortunate that this hearing is just focusing on the accomplices.)

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