(Eagle News) — The Senate has recommended the filing of charges against former Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles for their alleged attempt to extort P50 million from gaming tycoon Jack Lam in November 2016.
This was after the plenary on Tuesday adopted the report and the recommendations of the blue ribbon committee to file the graft and corruption, plunder and direct bribery charges against them.
The panel, led by Senator Richard Gordon, lodged an investigation into the incident.
Apart from Argosino and Robles, Gordon said Charles Calima, BI intelligence officer, should be charged with direct bribery; and Wally Sombero, Lam’s alleged middleman, with corruption and plunder.
Gordon said BI Commissioner Jaime Morente should be asked to explain why there were lapses in the monitoring of the entry and activities of illegal foreign nationals, and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre why he met privately with Sombero and Lam.
The P50 million received by Argosino and Robles was supposedly in exchange for the release of Lam’s 1316 Chinese workers who were arrested for immigration violations.
Last year, the Ombudsman ordered the filing of plunder charges against Robles, Argosino and Sombero in connection with the incident.
