SENATORS on Monday berated a dismissed Immigration official and called him “stupid” for insisting he did not know that the bags they received from a police officer whom they met at the City of Dreams in Parañaque City contained the P50-million bribe from gambling tycoon Jack Lam.
Testifying at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation of the alleged bribery at the Bureau of Immigration following the arrest of more than 1,300 Chinese illegally working for Lam, former Immigration Associate Commissioner Al Argosino initially denied knowing that the bags that were left with them for two hours by retired police officer Wally Sombero had money.
He also said he did not know there was money in three more bags.
Argosino kept denying he knew what the bags contained until Senator Richard Gordon, committee chairman, blurted out: “You know there was money?”
When Argosino finally admitted he had an “idea,” Gordon fumed, “Are you not surprised? You are a lawyer and commissioner of Immigration, are you dense? Have you not noticed [there was money]?”
Argosino said he never asked what were in the bags because he was not interested. He insisted he met with Sombero only to investigate and he merely wanted to help the Chinese nationals arrested by the Bureau of Immigration for working without permits.
He said the Chinese Embassy had been complaining about the poor conditions in the detention are due to the lack of toilet facilities.
But Gordon did not buy the “story” of Argosino in meeting Sombero at the City of Dreams on the night on Nov. 26 after coming from his home.
Earlier the same date, Argosino joined Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who also met with Lam, two interpreters and Sombero, at the Shangri-La at the Fort at 5 p.m.
After the meeting at the Shangri-La hotel, Argosino said Sombero approached him and repeatedly told him that Lam needed a sponsor or godfather.
He did not speak to Sombero who asked him if they needed P50 million or even P100 million. He said Sombero came back to him later and requested another meeting at the City of Dreams.
Aguirre and Argosino, who are fraternity brothers at Lex Taniones, attended the San Beda Alumni homecoming at the same hotel.
After the Shangri-La at the Fort meeting, Argosino said he and another Immigration official, former Associate Commissioner Michael Robles, also a fraternity brother, agreed to meet with Sombero at the City of Dreams.
Gordon taunted Argosino for being “foolish” in keeping the company of Sombero, the supposed representative of Lam, from around 10 p.m. until past 5 a.m. the next day if he did not know the real intention of the police officer.
“You know that clearly. You know there’s something illegal,” Gordon told Argosino.
He also criticized Argosino and another Immigration officer, lawyer Michael Robles, for accepting from Sombero the two bags containing P10 million each.
Robles also followed them in a bar at the City of Dreams where they stayed until 12 midnight before moving to another restaurant after the bar closed.
“Are you not ashamed that you are two commissioners who kept on following that [person] carrying the bags?” Gordon told Argosino who said they did not touch the bag after accepting them.
Argosino also told the Senate panel that while they were in another restaurant, Sombero kept on leaving them. He even left them for two hours. He admitted that they waited for him because of the bags and called him several times and told him they were leaving.
When Sombero returned around 5 a.m., he was carrying three more bags with him.
“Past 5 a.m.? That was long? From 10 until 5 a.m.?” asked Gordon.
But Argosino repeatedly told Gordon’s committee he did not ask Sombero where he came from and where the bags came from because he was thinking about his purpose.
At this juncture Gordon shot back, “you know that already!”
Argosino said Sombero later informed them there was P20 million inside the two bags that he left with them and another P30 milliom in the three bags.
Argosino later admitted Robles got P20 million while he took home P28 million since Sombero got P2 million for himself.
While they divided the money, Argosino insisted that their intention, as immigration officers, was to secure the huge amount and use them as evidence in their investigation.
Gordon blasted Argosino and Robles and told them “we’re not fools here.”
Senator Francis Pangilinan also questioned why the two former Immigration commissioners had to stay and wait for almost eight hours for Sombero to come back. Argosino replied that the bags were still with them, and they were waiting for Lam to show up.
Robles admitted he knew about the money when they were about to leave the City of Dreams. He remembered asking Sombero about its purpose. But Sombero merely told them to take care of them.
When Pangilinan confronted Argosino why he brought the money to his house, the former BI official said he kept it as evidence.
Pangilinan also inquired from Sombero why they waited for two hours and what they waited for. He said it was unbelievable that they did not leave within that two hours.
“You were scratching anything, counting lizards while waiting for his return in the wee hours?
Argosino and Robles also testified that after consolidating the remaining P48 million, they gave P18 million to former Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr.
Calima said he immediately informed BI Commissioner Jaime Morente and made a report about the P18 million the following day. He also sought an audience with Aguirre on several occasions to tell him about the alleged bribe money, but his requests were turned down by the justice secretary.
On Dec. 13, he said Aguirre terminated him as BI Intelligence officer for alleged involvement in the bribery scandal at Immigration.
Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, was first to conduct a Senate inquiry into Lam’s operation at the Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga involving Chinese workers who were working in an illegal online casino.
He believes Argosino is liable for perjury for “having provided false statements by withholding information in the Senate” and that his committee is contemplating filing contempt charges against him.