Nene summons 24 to jueteng inquiry
By Efren L. Danao , MT Senior Reporter
Several suspected jueteng lords, governors and local officials will be summoned to a Senate inquiry into the resurgence of the illegal numbers game.
Leading the list of allegedly big-time jueteng operators is Bong Pineda, widely believed to be the overlord in Central Luzon.
As proposed by the Senate minority leader, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., the list of 24 “resource persons” for the hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusements should also include Governors Luis “Chavit” Singson of Ilocos Sur and Mark Lapid of Pampanga, Jose Yap of Tarlac, Jesus Typoco Jr. of Camarines Norte, Vicente Magsaysay of Zambales and Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur and Vice Gov. Mariano Cristino Joson IV of Nueva Ecija.
Religious leaders campaigning against jueteng would also be summoned.
Singson had claimed that former President Joseph Estrada was a protector of jueteng, an allegation that led to Estrada’s impeachment in 2001. Singson has admitted that jueteng exists even in his province.
Lapid is the son of Sen. Lito Lapid, chair of the Committee on Games and Amusements. The Lapids are from Pampanga, the home province of Pineda.
Pimentel gave Senator Lapid a list of persons to be summoned by the committee in a letter on May 5. He also formally asked Lapid to recuse himself from presiding over the investigation, primarily because his son has been named one of the witnesses.
Pimentel wrote to Lapid after published reports quoted Lapid as saying he would not recuse himself.
“As a colleague in the Senate, I feel that you are unnecessarily putting yourself in a bad situation where there is no way you can come out of the hearings unscathed,” Pimentel said.
He noted that Lapid comes from Pampanga, “where jueteng is more pervasive than the E-coli [bacillus] inhabiting the cesspools of the rich and famous in Makati.”
Pimentel said that if Lapid insists on presiding over the probe, formal motions would be made against it.
Also on the list: Romeo Lajara of Baguio City, Mayor Jess Viceo of San Rafael, Bulacan, Art Katigbak of Cavite, a certain Ngongo of Pampanga, Mario Garcia of Pampanga, Tony Santos of Pampanga, one “Boy Tangkad,” Art Katigbak of Cavite and Charing Magbuhos of Quezon.
Most of these persons have been summoned to previous congressional hearings on suspected gambling lords.
Antijueteng crusaders Bishop Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, and Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Pangasinan are also on the list.
Rounding up the list are Chief Supt. Rowland Albano, the relieved police regional director for Central Luzon; Col. Rodolfo Mendoza, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bert Lina, PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao and PNP Senior Supt. Pat Hernaez.
Lapid had said he would ask to the hearing all those named by his committee members.
Pimentel suggested that the hearings be held continuously from Monday to Saturday.
He filed a resolution on April 12 calling for the investigation into the resurgence of jueteng, but Lapid still had to start the hearings.
If Lapid recuses himself from the hearing, then the vice chair, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, would take over. Pimentel said that if Lapid does not want Estrada to replace him, then Lapid should hold a preliminary committee hearing to determine who should take over.
Pimentel said that no inference of the witnesses’ guilt or innocence should be drawn, simply because they would be summoned to the hearings.
Leaders of the House advised Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to avoid sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations against personalities or public officials allegedly involved in jueteng.
In a joint statement, Majority Leader Prospero Nograles of Davao City and Deputy Speaker for Visayas Gerry Salapuddin said Cruz must give specific and confirmed information about the issue instead of uttering “unchristian” remarks.
“Blind-item allegations smack of show-biz theatrics. How can we prosecute jueteng coddlers, operators and money takers if we don’t have solid evidence against them? The archbishop’s allegations are apparently based on hearsay, good for the rumor mill but having no probative value,” Salapuddin said.
Nograles said the House has shown its support for Cruz’s crusade by immediately holding a hearing on his list of supposed jueteng operators and coddlers.
--With William B. Depasupil and Maricel V. Cruz
Several suspected jueteng lords, governors and local officials will be summoned to a Senate inquiry into the resurgence of the illegal numbers game.
Leading the list of allegedly big-time jueteng operators is Bong Pineda, widely believed to be the overlord in Central Luzon.
As proposed by the Senate minority leader, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., the list of 24 “resource persons” for the hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusements should also include Governors Luis “Chavit” Singson of Ilocos Sur and Mark Lapid of Pampanga, Jose Yap of Tarlac, Jesus Typoco Jr. of Camarines Norte, Vicente Magsaysay of Zambales and Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur and Vice Gov. Mariano Cristino Joson IV of Nueva Ecija.
Religious leaders campaigning against jueteng would also be summoned.
Singson had claimed that former President Joseph Estrada was a protector of jueteng, an allegation that led to Estrada’s impeachment in 2001. Singson has admitted that jueteng exists even in his province.
Lapid is the son of Sen. Lito Lapid, chair of the Committee on Games and Amusements. The Lapids are from Pampanga, the home province of Pineda.
Pimentel gave Senator Lapid a list of persons to be summoned by the committee in a letter on May 5. He also formally asked Lapid to recuse himself from presiding over the investigation, primarily because his son has been named one of the witnesses.
Pimentel wrote to Lapid after published reports quoted Lapid as saying he would not recuse himself.
“As a colleague in the Senate, I feel that you are unnecessarily putting yourself in a bad situation where there is no way you can come out of the hearings unscathed,” Pimentel said.
He noted that Lapid comes from Pampanga, “where jueteng is more pervasive than the E-coli [bacillus] inhabiting the cesspools of the rich and famous in Makati.”
Pimentel said that if Lapid insists on presiding over the probe, formal motions would be made against it.
Also on the list: Romeo Lajara of Baguio City, Mayor Jess Viceo of San Rafael, Bulacan, Art Katigbak of Cavite, a certain Ngongo of Pampanga, Mario Garcia of Pampanga, Tony Santos of Pampanga, one “Boy Tangkad,” Art Katigbak of Cavite and Charing Magbuhos of Quezon.
Most of these persons have been summoned to previous congressional hearings on suspected gambling lords.
Antijueteng crusaders Bishop Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, and Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Pangasinan are also on the list.
Rounding up the list are Chief Supt. Rowland Albano, the relieved police regional director for Central Luzon; Col. Rodolfo Mendoza, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bert Lina, PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao and PNP Senior Supt. Pat Hernaez.
Lapid had said he would ask to the hearing all those named by his committee members.
Pimentel suggested that the hearings be held continuously from Monday to Saturday.
He filed a resolution on April 12 calling for the investigation into the resurgence of jueteng, but Lapid still had to start the hearings.
If Lapid recuses himself from the hearing, then the vice chair, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, would take over. Pimentel said that if Lapid does not want Estrada to replace him, then Lapid should hold a preliminary committee hearing to determine who should take over.
Pimentel said that no inference of the witnesses’ guilt or innocence should be drawn, simply because they would be summoned to the hearings.
Leaders of the House advised Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to avoid sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations against personalities or public officials allegedly involved in jueteng.
In a joint statement, Majority Leader Prospero Nograles of Davao City and Deputy Speaker for Visayas Gerry Salapuddin said Cruz must give specific and confirmed information about the issue instead of uttering “unchristian” remarks.
“Blind-item allegations smack of show-biz theatrics. How can we prosecute jueteng coddlers, operators and money takers if we don’t have solid evidence against them? The archbishop’s allegations are apparently based on hearsay, good for the rumor mill but having no probative value,” Salapuddin said.
Nograles said the House has shown its support for Cruz’s crusade by immediately holding a hearing on his list of supposed jueteng operators and coddlers.
--With William B. Depasupil and Maricel V. Cruz
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