Wong tells Senate he’s no drug lord

Controversial businessman Kamsim Wong, alias Kim Wong, said yesterday that no evidence was presented in a joint hearing of three Senate committees to support allegations that he is a drug lord.

In a statement issued by his lawyers Chavez Laureta and Associates, Wong said he had refuted all the charges against him during a joint Senate hearing last Oct. 5.

"There is no evidence against me and no one can be presented because I am not and never will be a drug lord," Wong said.

He presented a certification from Allied Banking Corp. proving that he was extended various credit lines for the cluster of restaurants near Rizal Park which he partly owns .

He said he simply guaranteed bank loans for the three restaurants which he and his partners are still paying for.

Kim Wong also said he refuted the claim of police Senior Inspector Florentino Bagallon that he tried to drop the name of former Western Police District director Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon during a police raid in November 1997.

Wong said the raid never took place and that he is also not the owner of the said club but only frequented the place in 1998.

Wong also pointed out that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of Angelito Sy, belying the charge of former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former police undercover agent Mary "Rosebud" Ong.

Wong submitted NBI records and the complaints of Sy’s mother and wife and stressed that they never mentioned or implicated him in their complaint contrary to the claims of Lim and Ong.

He also clarified that it was only coincidental that he flew to Hong Kong on Sept. 2, 1999 with former police chief now Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino and lawyer Evaristo Gana but they went their own way and did their own business when they reached Hong Kong.

Wong said they would just see each other at the hotel lobby at 6 p.m. for dinner except one day when Wong had to go to China to look for new t-shirt designs and garments machinery.

Wong said Ong just "made up" her claim that she saw him having lunch with the boss of a Hong Kong illegal drugs syndicate on Feb. 4, 1999 and that he was in China on that day to look at recent t-shirt designs and machinery.

Wong claimed that the Senate received the transcript, allegedly from the Hong Kong police, of a telephone conversation where the triad boss Ong was referring to, a certain Mr. Lee, was in Macau. Wong said that was the day Ong supposedly saw him having lunch with the triad boss.

Wong said he was finally relieved that he was able to air his side and expressed confidence the Senate will clear him of accusations that he is a drug lord.

He also claimed that his testimony before the Senate committees served as "vindication for him and his family for all the baseless accusations" hurled against him. – Mike Frialde