Arrest Jack Lam, President orders PNP Chief

President Duterte has ordered the arrest of Macau-based business tycoon Jack Lam for bribery and economic sabotage, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director-General Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday.

In a radio interview, Dela Rosa appealed for cooperation from the public and help them in locating the business tycoon.

“Ipagbigay alam niyo po sa ating kapulisan at siya po ay ating aarestuhin... Utos ng Pangulo... Pinapaaresto siya for bribery and economic sabotage (Let our police know where he [Lam] is and we’ll arrest him… orders from the President… he’s to be arrested for bribery and economic sabotage),” Dela Rosa said.

According to the PNP Chief, the President is really mad at Lam who was accused of attempting to bribe government officials in a bid to secure the release of thousands of Chinese nationals arrested recently for illegally working at an underground online gambling operation at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

Asked if there are other personalities whom the President wants to be arrested in connection with Lam’s case, Dela Rosa replied: “So far, ang utos sa akin ni Presidente ngayon is si Jack Lam lang muna. Doon siya galit na galit at gusto niyang mahuli kaagad. Kailangan mahuli agad (So far, my orders from the President is to get Jack Lam only. He’s very mad at him and wants him arrested immediately. He has to be arrested soon).”

Dela Rosa further said that there is no hold departure order (HDO) against Lam, but he had already informed Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente about the order of the Pesident.

“So hanapan na lang kung anong pamaraan na mahuli... i-hold siguro for questioning... hindi dapat makalabas ng bansa ’yun (So, we’ll find a way to catch him… perhaps, hold him for questioning… he is not to leave the country),” the PNP Chief added.

On whether a case had been filed against Lam, Dela Rosa said in Filipino: “I have no update yet from the DOJ, because this is their case. I don’t know yet, but I am just acting on orders of the President... I presume the DOJ is building up the case against him [Lam]. So, that’s it; we’ll catch him when we see him),” he added.

The President’s order to arrest Lam comes days after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had accused the business tycoon of attempting to bribe him in order to release over 1,300 Chinese nationals arrested recently for illegally working at Lam’s gambling complex in Clark, Pampanga.