By Ellen Tordesillas
Malaya
Malaya
The P10 million a month Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino, Jr.
Jueteng investigations come and go but the illegal numbers game is flourishing as ever.
News reports about Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino, Jr. as a jueteng lord is nothing new. On Sept. 20, 2010, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz gave the Senate committee investigating the illegal numbers game a list containing 12 names of jueteng lords, operators and recipients of payola which he said his group, Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, had cross-checked with several sources including those with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Espino’s name was there together with that of two people close to President Aquino: former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico E. Puno and former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa, touted to be the next DILG secretary but had to retire early due his negligence in the Aug 23, 2010 Rizal park hostage-taking fiasco.
Other names in the list were Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Baby” Pineda, Paul Dy in Isabela, Ret. Police Supt. Eugene Martin, Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan; Danny Soriano in Cagayan; Ret. Gen. Padilla in Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and San Pedro; Boy Jalandoni in Bacolod; Eddie Fontanilla; and Rey Cachuela.
After a few days in the headlines, the news died down and Malacañang didn’t take any action. Puno was forced only to resign when he got embroiled in the controversial search of the residence of the later DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo while the search for his (Robredo’s) body was still going on after a plane crash.
In a TV interview, Press Secretary Edwin Lacierda said the problem with the list of Archbishop Cruz was that it was not supported by evidence.
Bugallon Mayor Rodrigo Orduna with by DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Archbishop Oscar Cruz
Archbishop Cruz replied:” I’m giving the list but please make this government do its job.”
Archbishop Cruz is right. The government has the resources and the machinery to validate the allegations in the list. If Malacanang is interested it can mobilize the National Bureau of Investigation and all its intelligence agencies including that of the PNP and the military, if it is really interested to eradicate the illegal numbers game which victimizes the poor and distorts democracy through the use of jueteng money in politics.
The archbishop said he and his witnesses took great risks in giving the government information on jueteng. “I have faced the Senate before, brought all my witnesses without benefit of lawyer or security. We named names, we identified amounts, we said all circumstances and nothing. Even one of our whistleblowers was killed. Even to this day, we don’t know who did it.”
Cruz must have been referring to Wilfredo”Boy” Mayor, one of the jueteng whistleblowers who was gunned down in Pasay City in Feb. 2010.
Last Friday, Archbishop Cruz was again with Pangasinan Mayor Rodrigo Orduña who revealed that he was doing a “Chavit” for Espino since 2001, turning over to him at least P3 million a month collection from jueteng operators.
When Espino became governor in 2007, he took control of the jueteng operations in Pangasinan and was collecting P10 million a month, Orduna said.
Orduña’s revelation was corroborated by confessed jueteng operator Fernando “Boy Bata”Alimagno.
The two filed plunder charges against Espino with the Office of the Ombudsman alleging that he accepted P900 million jueteng money.
The two filed plunder charges against Espino with the Office of the Ombudsman alleging that he accepted P900 million jueteng money.
It is worth noting that Orduña said he started collecting jueteng money for Espino who was then a member of the House of Representative (2nd district) in 2001, which was the year an elected president, Joseph Estrada by the so called “civil society” calling for reforms in the government.
Civil society installed then Vice President Gloria Arroyo, who is widely known as “anak ng jueteng” because one of her top elections contributors was Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, a known jueteng lord.
Espino denied Orduña’s allegations saying “it’s politically motivated.”
Maybe. Although Espino, a retired PNP officer, has abandoned Arroyo and claims to support the Aquino administration, he belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition of Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco. He is not with the Liberal Party, the political party of the President Aquino and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.
Maybe because he does not belong to the political party that is in power, there’s a good chance of the plunder case against Espino prospering. Maybe, there would be more validation of the role of other personalities in Cruz’s list. Maybe there’s a good chance that jueteng in Central Luzon would be stopped as Roxas vowed.
If that happens, then that’s good politics.
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RELATED STORY:
PNoy orders probe on Espino jueteng case
ABS-CBNnews.com
MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino has ordered an in-depth investigation into allegations that Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. earned nearly P1 billion in jueteng payola in the past 9 years, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said Friday.
Malacañang, in a press statement, confirmed this following the filing of a plunder complaint against Espino.
“The President has directed Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Mar Roxas to build a strong case and ensure the safety of the witnesses who will testify against jueteng operations and the alleged involvement of Governor Espino in the Province of Pangasinan,” the Office of the Press Secretary said.
“We are determined to pursue this case to its logical end under the rule of law and should serve as a warning to syndicates and coddlers of illegal gambling operations to stop or be stopped,” it added.
Roxas allayed concerns regarding possible “whitewash” in the case.
He said police officers in Pangasinan will be reshuffled to determine their culpability.
A certain police Senior Supt. Wilson Lopez has alleged served as as Espino’s go-between and jueteng collector, according to disclosures made during a press conference at Camp Crame wherein Bugallon, Pangasinan Mayor Rodrigo Orduña aired the allegation against the governor.
Orduna also filed a plunder case against Espino before the Ombudsman, and presented as evidence his and Barangay Chairman Fernando Alimagno Alimagno’s sworn statements detailing their role and association with Espino in allegedly running jueteng in Pangasinan.
“These are documented, actionable complaints. We have two insiders who have come out in the open, and have submitted sworn statements, which will be the basis of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to conduct a thorough investigation,” Roxas said.
“I advise Governor Espino to get a good lawyer,” Roxas said.
He said investigation of Espino’s case will be made through several applicable laws including the Anti-Graft Law, the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Plunder Law or Republic Act 7080.
“With my background in finance, I know that when money flows, there will be a trail. We will use the anti-money laundering law para makita ang money trail,” he said. “As they say, we will follow the money.”
Espino has denied the allegations.
In his sworn statement, Orduna claimed that he personally handed to Espino some P2.5 million every week for several years since Espino became Pangasinan governor.
He said Espino used to receive a smaller amount of P750,000 weekly when he was still only a congressman in the province.
Roxas said Orduna, Alimagno, and their families will be taken under the care of religious organizations pending their inclusion in the government’s witness protection program.
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