Aguirre orders Morente to return P20M in 24 hours
JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Wednesday issued a memorandum ordering Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime H. Morente to immediately return the remaining P20 million from the alleged extortion incident involving Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam.
The memorandum, dated Dec. 21 and addressed to Mr. Morente, read: “In view of your express admission that you authorized Gen. Charles T. Calima, [Jr.] the former Acting Intelligence Chief of [the Bureau of Immigration], to conduct a counter intelligence operation in connection [ with] the alleged P50 million extortion purportedly committed by former Associate Commissioners Al C. Argosino and Michael B. Robles, and in order to preserve the evidence of such extortion activity, you are hereby directed to turn-over within twenty-four hours, the remaining P20 million to this Department for safekeeping or to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the agency conducting the investigation on the alleged extortion incident.”
Mr. Aguirre’s directive came after a Tuesday night radio interview of Mr. Morente, where he disclosed that he instructed Mr. Calima to conduct a counter-intelligence investigation on BI officials allegedly demanding money from gaming tycoon Jack Lam.
The extortion controversy stemmed from the Nov. 24 raid of the BI at the Lam-operated Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino that led to the arrest of 1,316 Chinese nationals. Those arrested, according to the BI, entered into and were working in the country illegally.
Resigned BI Associate Commissioners Al C. Argosino and Michael B. Robles were accused of extorting P50 million from the gaming tycoon, but the two former government officials said that Mr. Calima received P18 million, while Wally Sombero, former police senior superintendent and alleged right- hand man of Jack Lam, received P2 million from the transaction.
Messrs. Argosino and Robles have turned over the remaining P30 million to the DoJ on Dec. 13.
“It is understood that you are authorized to take any and all appropriate steps to secure and safely turn- over the aforesaid P20 million as directed,” Mr. Aguirre wrote. “You are likewise instructed to make a written report to the undersigned on your compliance with this directive not later than 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 22, 2016.”