JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Sunday challenged Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to present evidence showing that there is “deliberate attempt” to save former Immigration commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles from plunder.
This was after it was revealed during the Senate budget deliberations last week that the bribe money recovered from Argosino and Robles was short of P1,000 to constitute a plunder case, which requires at least P50 million.
In a radio dzBB interview, Aguirre shrugged off Drilon’s observation that the moves to spare Argosino and Robles were intentional.
“’Yan ang kwan ni Drilon, pero magpresenta siya [ng ebidensya], hindi yung puro speculations siya,” he said.
Drilon had questioned why Argosino and Robles were not charged with plunder over the bribe money they allegedly received from gambling tycoon Jack Lam.
During deliberations on the Department of Justice’s budget hearing Tuesday night, it was disclosed that the money recovered only amounted to P49,999,000.
Aguirre said it might have been a mistake on the part of the bank or other factors that the bribe money was short of P1,000.
“Ewan ko kung naranasan niyo na yan, but kapag yan ay milyon-milyon, daang libo na wini-withdraw mo sa bangko, nagkakaroon talaga yan minsan ng kulang, minsan sobra,” he said.
“Sa P50 million, hindi malayong pwedeng mangyari na may nagbawas diyan doon pa lang sa bangko kasi galing yan sa casino e.”
Aguirre insisted that he could not have reduced the amount of the bribe money himself.
“Pwedeng nagbawas na, pagkakamali ang bangko, pagkakamali ng casino o kaya may nagbawas along the way. Pero kung sasabihin mo na ako ang nagbawas… kalokohan yan. Magpresinta sila ng ebidensya,” he said.
Aguirre said there was video footage of their accounting of the bribe money.
“Kaya hinahamon ko ang senador na yan. Mag-imbestiga ka ulit, Drilon, kung gusto at yan ay haharapin ko. Hindi yung dadaanan n’yo sa innuendos,” he said.
“Yan ang mahirap diyan sa ibang senador e. Na porke nasa Senado sila, akala nila ay hindi sila magkakamali. Pero hindi ko sila aatrasan kapag ako ang nasa tama.”