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Friday, March 29, 2024

Ex-cop, BI execs face plunder, bribe charges

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THE Ombudsman has accused former Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles as well as retired senior Supt. Wenceslao Sombero Jr. of bribey and plunder in connection with the P50-million Immigration bribery scandal.

They were charged with the non-bailable offense of plunder and one count each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or direct bribery and violation of Presidential Decree 46 before the Sandigandayan.

Chinese casino operator Jack Lam was charged with violation of PD 46, the martial law decree that punishes public officials who receive gifts from private individuals as well as the givers.

Sacked Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr., however, was dropped from the case after the Ombudsman granted his motion for reconsideration for lack of probable cause.

Ombudsman investigation revealed that Argosino and Robles allegedly acquired ill-gotten wealth when they accepted from Sombero, then-president of Asian Gaming Service Provider Association Inc., P50 million in exchange for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark Field, Pampanga. Lam is the owner of the casino complex at Fontana.

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The Ombudsman said Argosino and Robles showed alleged “manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence” when they conspired with Sombero for the multi-million bribe.

The Department of Justice earlier dropped the plunder charges against Argosino and Robles since the money recovered from them was P1,000 short of the P50 million needed to file a plunder case.

Nonetheless, the Ombudsman said Argosino and Robles were still liable under the Plunder Law, or Republic Act 7080, despite the missing P1,000.

The anti-graft body further said it “cannot excuse them from being indicted for plunder” since Robles himself admitted that “they took possession of all five bags containing the P50 million.”

A total bail of P60,000 was recommended in the cases of Argosino, Robles, and Sombero, while the recommended bail for Lam was P10,000.

While plunder is a non-bailable offense, arrest warrants will only be issued against Argosino, Robles, and Sombero once the Sandiganbayan finds probable cause to hold them for trial.

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