Aguirre dismisses two immigration intelligence officials
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday dismissed two intelligence officers of the Bureau of Immigration who were implicated in the alleged P50-million extortion of Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam.
In separate letters, Aguirre wrote acting immigration intelligence division chief Charles Calima Jr. and technical assistant for intelligence Edward Chan of their dismissal.
"Please be informed that your co-terminus appointment in the Bureau of Immigration is hereby terminated. As such, you are no longer required to report for work effective immediately," Aguirre ordered.
Aguirre ordered the dismissal of Calima and Chan after he earlier recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the dismissal of BI deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, who admitted receiving P50 million from Lam's camp.
Argosino and Reyes claimed it was a covert investigation on the reported bribery for the release of 1,316 Chinese nationals in Lam’s Fontana Resorts and Casino in Clark Field, Pampanga. They were arrested on November 24.
Argosino and Robles surrendered P30 million in cash bundles to the justice department after 16 days of keeping them, claiming the P18 million went to Calima and the other P2 million to retired police official Wally Sombero, who acted as Lam's middleman.
But it was learned that after counting by justice department personnels, the P30 million cash surrendered by Argosino and Reyes was short by P1,000.
Twenty million pesos from the supposed payoff of P50 million have not been surrendered to the justice department.
They earlier filed a 30-day leave of absence to allow separate probes of the National Bureau of Investigation and BI.
Aguirre sought the dismissal of Argosino and Robles and ordered Calima and Chan dismissed even before the NBI and BI ended their investigations.
"The action was called for because of the gravity of the accusations. This will also prevent the parties involved from interfering with the ongoing investigations," he said.
Lam has been blacklisted over the illegal casino operation and was ordered arrested by Duterte for alleged bribery, economic sabotage and harboring illegal aliens.
Argosino and Robles earlier filed complaints for corruption of public officials and violation of anti-wiretapping law against Lam, Sombero, Calima and Lam's two Chinese interpreters before the Para?aque City Prosecutor's Office. DMS
