(Eagle News) – Retired policeman Wenceslao “Wally” Sombero Jr. has asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the plunder case filed against him in connection with the P50-million bribery scandal involving Chinese businessman Jack Lam and former immigration commissioners Michael Robles and Al Argosino.
In a motion dated March 28, Sombero said the facts he was charged with “do not constitute the offense of plunder.”
Sombero argued that Robles and Argosino are alleged to have amassed P50 million, which means they “would have had amassed, accumulated, and acquired an aliquot portion of only P25 million each — an amount way below the threshold for plunder.”
“While there may be multiple overt acts performed in furtherance of a conspiracy, there is only one crime to speak of. There is only one ‘predicate’ act. There is no series of predicate acts,” he added.
Sombero also faces charges for graft, direct bribery, and for violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, but these were not included in his motion to quash.
Sombero is accused of serving as a middleman between Lam, and Argosino and Robles.
The P50 million he allegedly paid the then-immigration officers were in exchange for the release of 1,316 Chinese workers in Lam’s Fontana Leisure Park and Casino.
The workers were arrested in 2016 for their alleged violation of immigration laws.