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Aguirre knew of illegal gambling at Lam’s Fontana—Trillanes
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. (Facebook photo)
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Sunday alleged that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre knew of the illegal gambling operations of Macau-based businessman Jack Lam in his Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga.
From 2013 to 2016, Aguirre was the vice president and chief legal counsel of Clark Development Corp. (CDC), the agency that manages Clark Freeport Zone where Lam’s Fontana is located.
“The illegal operation of Jack Lam’s casino has been going on for more than 10 years already. But since Aguirre was VP and chief legal counsel of the CDC from March 2013 to June 2016, then he surely knew about this operation,” Trillanes said.
In a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Aguirre said that no raids were conducted in Lam’s Fontana because the CDC believed that the casino’s operation was legal since it has been authorized Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).
However, Trillanes stressed that Aguirre should have known that Fontana’s operations were violating laws.
“As CDC’s Chief Legal Counsel, Aguirre should know and definitely knows that immigration laws were being violated by Jack Lam’s casino and that CEZA’s permits cannot be used in other freeports in the country. But still he allowed it to operate then,” Trillanes said, referring to the 1,316 Chinese nationals working without permit at the Fontana.
“So, the 100 million peso question now is, ‘Is the shakedown, Aguirre’s way of saying he is the new boss in town?’,” he added.
Trillanes also pointed out loopholes in Aguirre’s earlier testimony such as Aguirre’s prior knowledge of the amount of bribes to the top Bureau of Immigration officials when nobody supposedly told him about it, among others.
He also questioned Aguirre’s meeting with suspects in case inside a hotel.
“Aguirre has a lot of explaining to do. Now, instead of resorting to name-calling, he should start rehearsing his story to cover the holes in his previous testimony which implicated him to this bribery scandal,” Trillanes said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the P50 million BI bribery scandal is expected to resume on Tuesday.
Almirante
January 30, 2017 at 10:36 AM
SI TRILLANES AY ANG ATTACK DOG NI ABNOY GROUP: 1 WEEK BEFORE ELECTION, MAY PINAKITA SIYA SA MEDIA – BANK STATEMENT NI DIGONG SHOWING MORE THAN 200 MILLION DEPOSIT; IT WAS DENIED BY THE BANK BRANCH ITSELF THAT THE BANK STATEMENT CAME FROM THEM; LATER IT WAS PROVEN THAT THE BANK STATEMENT IS WRONG, DIGONG HAS ONLY A LITTLE THOUSANDS DEPOSIT; NOW THE BSP AMLC WHOSE MEMBERS WERE APPOINTED BY ABNOY DID NOT PURSUE TO INVESTIGATE DIGONG’S BANK ACCOUNT BECAUSE IT WILL PROVE THAT TRILLANES LIED; DIGONG IS ASKING BSP AMLC TO COME UP WITH A REPORT ON THE RESULT OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, UNTIL NOW NO REPORT.
TRILLANES IS LIKE A DOG RUNNING AMOCK; WHEN HE IS TALKING, HIS SALIVA(LAWAY) IS STICKING ON ONE SIDE OF HIS LIP/MOUTH. NAG LALAWAY SIYA PARANG ASONG NAWALA-AN NG ISIP. SA BISAYA PA: SI TRILLANES MORA UG IRONG BUANG!! LIKE DELIMA AND SENATOR BABOY!! PARANG GUMAGAMIT DIN…