WALLY AND THE WOOLY

– Controversial ex-police official Wenceslao ‘Wally’ Sombero, who is set to appear before the Senate inquiry into the bribery of Immigration officials on Thursday, spends some fun time with his chowchow, ‘Simba,’ at his house in Quezon City where he sat down with reporters yesterday after his arrival from Canada.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II clarified that he had turned down the request of retired police chief superintendent Wenceslao “Wally” Sombero for an Allow Departure Order (ADO) to go abroad for his business dealings as the controversial ex-policeman returned to the country yesterday.

Since Sombero is already listed in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) – which was supposed to restrict him from leaving the country – Aguirre admitted that the retired police official did write to him asking for an ADO.

“Sa panahon ni Sombero, wala akong inisyu na Allow Departure Order (I have never issued an ADO to Sombero),” Aguirre told reporters.

The secretary reacted to reports that he had allowed Sombero to leave the country last January 17 even though there already was an ILBO against him.

Sombero returned to the country yesterday from Vancouver, Canada after he was cited for contempt for snubbing the summons of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. The committee, headed by Sen. Richard Gordon, also threatened to have him arrested and his passport cancelled.

In an ambush interview at the airport, Sombero said that he was not in hiding when he fled the country.

“Nagbibigay ako ng seminar tungkol sa online gaming sa Singapore, Taiwan, Canada at Europe (I was giving seminars on online gaming in Singapore, Taiwan, Canada, and Europe),” he said.

“I had no plan of hiding. I had always intended to return,” he added.

Meantime, Aguirre said Sombero’s case was no different from that of Senator Leila de Lima’s who also had to request for an ADO since an ILBO had also been issued against her due to criminal complaints she is facing before the Department of Justice (DOJ).