FOCUS ON VITAL ISSUES AND LET PROBE ON BI BRIBERY SCANDAL TAKE ITS COURSE - GORDON

Senator Richard J. Gordon yesterday called on the public, including critics, to focus on the information unraveled to date during the Senate inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the alleged bribery involving officials of the Bureau of Immigration in connection with the arrest of over 1,300 Chinese nationals illegally working at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Pampanga.

Gordon, chairman of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or Blue Ribbon which is conducting the hearings, said critics should allow the inquiry to take its course, otherwise they are just courting publicity to further their own agenda.

"All these people should wait until we finish the investigation otherwise they're just trying to focus on issues to perpetrate their intramurals and giving publicity to issues that are not material to the inquiry. Some people are making it a political vendetta which will take the public's focus on the facts and redirect it to their intramurals. This is a great disservice to the public," he said.

Gordon noted that while Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre may not be off the hook yet, he should not be prejudged.

"Aguirre is not yet off the hook but let us not prejudge because you are taking attention away by sowing misconceptions," he said.

The Blue Ribbon committee chair stressed that critics should instead present concrete evidence against personalities who may be involved, such as the other three whose participations were clearly established by the testimonies and evidence already presented.

"You must deliver concrete evidence as we did with the others. I need everybody's help to get to the bottom of this," he said.

The next hearing was moved to Tuesday, January 31, 2017, from February 7. During the hearing on January 23, Gordon approved a motion to subpoena, to attend the next hearing, ret. Police Senior Supt. Wenceslao "Wally" Sombero, alleged operator of Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam who owns Fontana where the alleged illegal Chinese workers were apprehended.