President Duterte earlier ordered the arrest of the Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam but later allowed his return for a good purpose
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is allowing Chinese casino operator Jack Lam to return and resume the operation of his businesses in the Philippines despite his order earlier that the mogul be arrested and his illegal businesses at Clark Field, Pampanga be closed.
According to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguire II, Duterte allowed Lam to come back “provided that he meets at least three conditions” that the President has set.
Aguirre said, President Duterte specifically requires the Chinese business mogul to settle the tax deficiencies of his online casino business at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino.
Secondly, Lam is also required to apply for a license with Philippine Amusement and Gambing Corporation (PAGCOR) to legalize his operations and make sure that he pays the right taxes.
Lastly, Secretary Aguirre said that President Duterte wants Lam to issue an undertaking or a vow not to corrupt government officials following a reported bribery attempt that made noise across the country.
The Chinese casino mogul allegedly tried to bribe the officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) supposedly for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers arrested in Lam’s casino in November 2016.
Only 592 of the 1,316 arrested Chinese workers were granted bail by the BI board of Commissioners while only 43 of them have been charged before the DOJ for violation of Presidential Decree 1602, which prescribes the penalties for illegal gambling, and Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
An investigation on the BI officials for the alleged P50 million bribe attempt is underway. Former Immigration Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles earlier surrendered P30 million of the bribe amount they admitted receiving from the camp of Lam before President Duterte ordered them dismissed upon the recommendation of Secretary Aguirre.
The DOJ also dismissed Immigration intelligence head Charles Calima Jr., who amassed P18 million, along with technical assistant for intelligence Edward Chan.
Duterte’s decision to allow Lam to return and resume his businesses in the country came after he recently allowed several businesses inside Fontana to reopen, specifically the locators of Clark Development Corporation, where more than two thousand workers have been affected because of the closure order from the Malacañang Palace.
But the Secretary of Justice earlier clarified that the cease and desist order did not apply to the gambling businesses of the Chinese casino mogul.