JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday thanked the Senate Blue Ribbon committee for clearing his name in the P50-million extortion scandal involving officials of the Bureau of Immigration.
“I am thankful to Senator Richard Gordon for clearing my name of any involvement in this matter or in any of the issues heard before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. My integrity is very important to me,” Aguirre said.
“Senator Gordon confirmed what is true all along, I am innocent of any irregularity in this case,” the Justice secretary stressed.
Aguirre assured he would do his best to preserve the trust and confidence of people in him as Justice secretary.
“Moving forward, let me assure President Duterte and the Filipino people, that I will endeavor to keep and to preserve the trust and the confidence reposed in me as your secretary of Justice,” he said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Gordon ruled that evidence showed the incident was an extortion, not bribery, as earlier reported.
However, Gordon’s panel cleared Aguirre and Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam of liability in the BI corruption scandal.
Aguirre earlier admitted he met both Lam and his middleman, retired police official Wally Sombero Jr., to discuss the request to release Chinese nationals illegally working in the country.
Lam owns an online casino called Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga which employed around 1,316 Chinese nationals working without permits.
The workers were arrested on Nov. 24, 2016.
Gordon said he saw nothing wrong with Aguirre meeting both Lam and Sombero, noting it was done in a public place — Shangri-La at the Fort Manila.
“I would not have the proof to say that he is involved,” Gordon said.
Gordon stressed he also cleared Lam of any liability, noting he was “one of the investors of the country” and his alleged bribe was not proven.