Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz on Tuesday named Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno and retired Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa as the two Aquino officials who are receiving monthly jueteng payola.
Puno, however, immediately denied the accusation and said his name is being smeared because he is working to strengthen the small-town lottery (STL) to wipe out the illegal numbers game.
“I deny receiving jueteng payola. When I assumed office in July 5, I knew that these things will crop up…Because I wanted to have an alternative to jueteng, they are hitting me because mawawalan sila ng kita,” he said in a Senate hearing.
He added that the legal STL operations earn up to P10 billion a year while jueteng earns up to P30 billion a year.
Cruz revealed 12 names as jueteng lords, operators and recipients of jueteng payola during the Senate joint panel inquiry on the illegal numbers game.
The 12 are:
1. Baby Pineda in Pampanga
2. Paul Dy in Isabela
3. Retired general Eugene Martin
4. Mayor Mauricio Domogan of Baguio
5. Danny Soriano in Cagayan
6. Retired General Padilla in Pasay, Parañaque, Muntilupa and San Pedro
7. Governor Amado Espino in Pangasinan
8. Boy Jalandoni in Bacolod
9. Eddie Fontanilla
10. Rey Cachuela
11. Undersecretary Rico Puno
12. Retired General Jesus Verzosa
Cruz earlier said he would reveal the names in an executive session.
“I can easily do that. It [the list] is in front of me but for one reason or another, the priesthood in me seems to be a little hesitant so in case the Chair would allow, I would ask for an executive session where I’ll give all the names,” said Cruz.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, however, was not in favor of holding an executive session.
“It’s about time we call a spade a spade. It’s about time we really want to know the jueteng lords… I believe we should no loner waste our time. It’s the moment of truth. Let’s bring out the truth no matter how painful. We’ll assume the responsibility for what you are going to do here,” he told Cruz.
Enrile added: “If he [Cruz] wants me to be his lawyer. I think I’ve learned enough of the ropes in the courts, I’m willing to volunteer pro bono my services.”
Cruz alleged that two officials of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III have been receiving P2 million monthly payola from jueteng lords.
“My only reservation is this–the one who should really check this matter out and ferret the culprit should be the executive department. Here, respectfully I submit myself, especially what Sen. Guingona said about removing the PNP under the supervision of the local government,” stated Cruz.
“I have the list and this if from sources which are validated and for what it’s worth, I’m giving the list but please make this government do its job. I have done enough for this matter. 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,” he continued.
Sen. Francis Escudero thanked Cruz for “finding out” those involved in the illegal numbers but reminded him that the names can still come out.
“Maliban nalang kung papayag at magbobotohan ang kumite na ilabas at ilahad ‘yung napag-usapan doon”, said Escudero.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Robredo sent word that he cannot attend the hearing on Tuesday but will go to the next one.
“Whether we legalize or not, the problem is we go after the illegal forms of gambling because of the revenues lost to government, that should go to government that it could support pro-poor programs,” noted Sen. Gregorio Honasan.
“We want to determine the extent of this criminal enterprise. How widespread it is, and how true the allegations are,” said Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. – With a report from ANC
Sen. TG Guingona expressed disappointment over Puno’s refusal to name persons who approached him about jueteng. He was not helpful at all about jueteng.
This is OT.
I just learned from Philippine Star that PNoy hired an American PR company for his US trip. The question: How much are the taxpayers paying for this? Is this cost accounted for in the publicized P25 million? According to Maceda, the actual cost would reach a whooping P100 million.
Pass the Freddom of Information Act, NOW!
NFA rice,
Who the hell cares? You go to mendiola and scream your head off…
Bakit wala sa listahan ang pangalang Chavit Singson?
Sabi ni Rico Puno:
“I’m sorry, I really could not remember sa dami po talaga ng taong dumating [with the so many people who arrived]. Ang naalala ko lang yung gustong kumausap at makipag-appointment sa akin [What I remembered were those who wanted to talk and set an appointment with me],” he said
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100921-293499/DILG-exec-nixes-payola
If this is the kind of top level officials who would lead us to a moral and transparent governance, what would you expect of those below?
Naniniwala ako kay Archbishop Cruz. Kung hindi totoo, bakit ayaw pangalanan ni Puno ang emissaries ng jueteng lords, aber?! Kasi takot syang mabalikan?
Oy, bakit nga wala si Sabit Swingson?
Ingat ingat ka Archbishop, you angered to hell the lordies.
Yes, agree with Chi, ingat Atchbishop Cruz. They might not hit you but might hit those close to you.
Parang namamangka si Rev Cruz sa gitna ng Pacific ocean ng walang sagwan. Puro na lang porma ang nasa Kongreso at Senado.
Nag-email ako kay Rev Cruz ukol sa isyo ng Jueteng na muli niyang ibinulgar. Sabi ko na nagmumukhang laro ang labas dahil bitin ang pangalan ng sangkot dito. Ngayon at inilabas niya ang mga pangalan, mag ie-mail muli ako sa paghanga sa kanyang lakas ng loob at paninindugan.
Si bongbong, determine the extent of jueteng daw… Ano ba siya natutulog sa pansitan? Bat di rin idetermine ang unaccounted plunder ni Mcoy sr.?
Tedanz – September 21, 2010 7:31 pm
Bakit wala sa listahan ang pangalang Chavit Singson?
Bakit wala din kahit isang Arroyo?
Karantanduhan naman ito kung ikumpara si PNoy kay Arroyo. So OK lang ba sa atin na magkapalmuks si PNoy dahil walang kahihiyan si Gloria? Magising naman kayo! Ang bobo ninyo.
I agree wholeheartedly that this Puno is a dimwit. If he has any shame left in his body, he should spare the President pronto! Nakakapanginig nang laman ang mga sagot! Putragis! Pnoy, sipain mo na ang bobo na ito. Billliiisssss!!!!
Yep, agree on why Chavit was not in the list. He did admit before that he is into jueteng before didn’t he? Hmmm….
Henry, I think PNoy should not wait for Puno to resign. He should kicked him out now. If he is so fast in kicking out a weatherman because of inaccurate reporting of weather conditions, he should do the same if not faster to Puno.
<blockquoteIf he is so fast in kicking out a weatherman because of inaccurate reporting of weather conditions, he should do the same if not faster to Puno.
Sound, very sound advice, Mike.
But why on earth does Aquino insist on sticking by his friend when la raison d’état should be primordial? Of course, it is all in his honour to be seen as loyal to a fault to his friends but by gum, he swore to stand by 95 million Filipinos. Moral duty and sense of ethics require that he must know when to distinguish between loyalty to a friend who is proving to be unfit for the job and his loyalty to his country.
Anna, maybe the reason is that the weatherman is not his friend and shooting partner. So it was easy for PNoy to let him go. 😛
ogags nga sumagot tong si Puno… lalo lang nya pinatunayan dapat syang sibakin at gawin na lang panggatong…
pero kalimutan muna natin atraso nya sa hostage-taking…. pano kung totoo tong sinasabi nya?
“I deny receiving jueteng payola. When I assumed office in July 5, I knew that these things will crop up…Because I wanted to have an alternative to jueteng, they are hitting me because mawawalan sila ng kita,” he said in a Senate hearing.
hindi pa nawawala sakin ang anggulong sabotahe sa mga bata ni PNoy ang mabilis na paglabas ng jueteng payola issue… i have a high respect to Archbishop Cruz… ( spiritual adviser ni Lacson yan eh 🙂 ) … ang tanong lang kung sino ang kanyang informer… kung gusto talga nilang masilo ang mga opisyal ni PNoy… sana kumuha muna ng ebidensya bago ilabas sa publiko… pwde kasing demolition job lang…
Itong Punong ito, ni wala ngang nagawa sa mga Chinese hostages, yang jueteng pa kaya? Dapat pakuhanin ng lie detector yan. Yung eyeglasses niya, mahal na klase yun. Living in style ang isang ito.
So the connection between Puno and Tony Boy Couangco was established. Accg to Archbishop Cruz, sinabihan siya ni Tony Boy (is this the right name of Gretchen’s boy friend?)na easy lang daw si Archbishop Cruz kay Puno. So, now, di ba itong pinsan ni Pnoy na ito and nagbigay ng 100 million pesos sa INC? Connect the dots together. In other words, yung malaking pera na pinantapal nila na Inglesia ni Cristo para manalo si Pnoy ay GALING SA JUETENG! Anak ng jueteng talaga!
Perl,
Who did he say are the “they” in “Because I wanted to have an alternative to jueteng, they are hitting me because mawawalan sila ng kita,”??
Anna, it just proved that Puno very well know the “they” but refuses to name “them” because he has selective memory, too, like Gloria Arroyo and her men. Why did the putot miss this one for her cabinet? Kung mangatwiran ay syang sya ni unana at mga tuta!
yeah, anna, chi. kaya galit si henry sa #12 post nya. hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi nya pinangalanan… takot ba o may pinoproteksyunan lang…
Strike Two si Usec. Rico Puno. Mag-alsa balutan na. Ano pa ang kanyang hinintay?
Was expecting Ilocos Region’s Sab-it was number 2. And where are Nueva Ecija and La Union jueteng lords? Cordilleras? Well, Baguio….that’s expected. Outside of Manila, jueteng here in this mountain resort is always big.
Here’s what’s being said in Pangasinan:
“Jueteng operation in Pangasinan has completely stopped, the provincial police office reported KBP forum Thursday.”
“This developed as Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. directed Tuesday the provincial police office under Sr. Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte to intensify its campaign against illegal gambling particularly the numbers game jueteng.”
“Bettors are urged to stop placing bets to discourage operators and maintainers. “Huwag nang tumaya para wala ring magpataya.”
“Puspusan ngayon ang paghuli sa sinumang nagpapataya”
If there was no “Bishop Expose”, these mice continue to play.
JUETENG and corruptions are on the same level w/uncontrollabilty situation of everyday life of pilipinos. Why?Saan ba nagsimula ang lahat di ba sa ating mga nakaraan mga ninuno?Dahil sa paghahangad na kumita sa madaling paraan,kahit na sa maling paraan basta kikita ng walang hirap ay gagawin upang magkaroon lamang ang katuparan ang hangad.Iyan ay masisilayan sa lahat ng bawat antas ng buhay,mula sa pinakamababang hanggang sa pinakamataas uri ng lipunan.Ilagay natin sa ating sarili sa isang pagkuha ng mga papeles sa sangay ng pamahalaan,bakit ang haba na iyong paghihintay at pagpila,iyan ang isang dahilan gawaain upang ikaw ay humanap ng isang “AHENTE o NINONG ” sa madaling salita FIXER,at upang maibsan ang iyong paghihintatay,handa magbigay ng kaukulan halaga.Habang may naghahanap ng ninong at handang magbayad sa halagang na hinhingi ng pagkakataon,ay di matitigil ang kurapsyon,at gayon din ang sugal na huweteng. Habang may tumatangkilik at umaayon sa sistema mahirap pigilin,Tulad din ng pagbili sa isang bagay habang may bumibili,ay di titigil ang pagawaan upang gawin ang kanilang produkto.
Bakit hindi masipa si Puno?
Kay dalinh sagutin niyan – dahil siya ang connection or bridge between jueteng lords and Penoy or his dummy. Remember he did not trust Robredo and intended to appoint Versoza as chief of DILG.
At bakit hindi nahi-higlight ang pakiusap ni Tonyboy kay Bishop Cruz. Ano nga ba role niya? Figure na figure ko na.
“Jueteng operation in Pangasinan has completely stopped, the provincial police office reported KBP forum Thursday.”
“This developed as Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. directed Tuesday the provincial police office under Sr. Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte to intensify its campaign against illegal gambling particularly the numbers game jueteng.”
“Bettors are urged to stop placing bets to discourage operators and maintainers. “Huwag nang tumaya para wala ring magpataya.”
“Puspusan ngayon ang paghuli sa sinumang nagpapataya”
If there was no “Bishop Expose”, these mice continue to play.
————————-
stop gap actions to lull the noisy groups into a false sense of security…this is a cat and mouse game that will continue until we provide a viable alternative…
everywhere in the world people need a “distraction” ie have football, soccer, basketball, dog fighting, cock fighting, bloodsport, etc…there was the coliseum with the gladiators a long time ago, if the blogosphere has taken politics as their passion, some people like jueteng…
be real guys, if drugs, smuggling, kidnapping, bank robbery, etc., couldn’t be stopped in their tracks by political will – jueteng pa kaya?
…there are more important issues to attend to…jueteng will be around long after this administration is gone, hell, it will be around the time of our grandchildren’s granchildren…it will just change hands, this time around, some people are just fighting for supremacy, the noise is generated by those who can afford to do so, as they also want a piece of the action…we’re just being played here…
At bakit hindi nahi-higlight ang pakiusap ni Tonyboy kay Bishop Cruz. Ano nga ba role niya? Figure na figure ko na.
——————————–
then you are a fool, easily led by the nose…its obvious we are being played here…
double whammy na si puno. palpak sa hostage crisis. ngayon naman jueteng. ke aga-aga magpakita na inept at ng corruption.
puno should do noynoy the favor of tendering his IRREVOCABLE resignation. with issues like these hanging over his head he could never be effective anyway.
ang problema sa mga aquino ay masyadong binibgyang halaga ang mga kaibigan over the interests of the country. we saw this in the continued presence of a. romulo at dfa and the appointment of the “ambivalent” davide to the truth commission. these aquinos need to steel themselves to make the hard decisions for the good of the country.
#30 @ masha; i agree with you
To be a good president, P.Noy should always put interest of country over and above interest of his friends , relatives and everything else.
Agree with Sychitpin…
Move over Elena Horn. Here comes the new kid on the block (Abigail Valte), defending the guy on the chopping block (Rico E. Puno).
“Puno belongs to the best and the brightest(/b>.”
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/22/10/palace-puno-belongs-%E2%80%98best-and-brightest%E2%80%99
” Buddy-Buddy system ” yata ang mga eksina dito. Sa naka-raang
admin, buddy ng GMA si Ampautuan ( halos di matangap na nagkasala, dahil sa matinding ” bonding or connection “, ngayon naman, parang lumalabas sa scenario, ” buddy-buddy’ ni pangulong Pnoy si R. Puno, dahil na din sa malaon ng ka bonding at connection ), pag-ganito palagi ang mangyayari, wala ng pagbabago ang Pilipinas, sayang lang ang pag-papakamatay ni Ninoy ( ama, ni Pnoy ), alang-alang sa Bayan ( The worth of the country-Filipinos in dying for ).
Sayang-na-sayang lamang, mababali wala, ang mga pangako, na kayo ang ” BOSS” ko, at pag-lilingkuran ( si Puno pala !!!iba pa..)
Mahilig magsabi si Noynoy na sabi daw ng nanay at tatay nya ay ……
Nakalimutan sabihin ni Noynoy na ang sabi ng nanay at tatay nya ay anak sya ng jueteng.
Under Noynoy government ay walang Democracy kundi Juetengcracy government.
Sino ba talaga ang tinutukoy ni Noynoy na boss nya? ang taong bayan ba?
Ang galing ni Jug, NOT!
haay, naku…its not putting anyone over the interest of the country at all…lets put things in proper perspective…do we have tha facts? do you really believe that if given the power to decide now, you have everything you need to make the right decision? or are you basing judgment on “hearsay?”
…last time i heard, we are a government of laws? nagbago na ba?
…before we embark on anything, we must ask ourselves “what is our end game?” ano ba ang gusto nating kahahantungan nito? do we have a viable solution in mind or an alternative to the current leadership?
…are are you just going through life only aware of what you don’t like…kaya puro anti this, anti that, what are you really “for” anyway? and how do you propose to achieve this?
…even if its the pope who will malign Puno, its still an injustice…we have to follow “due process” otherwise kahit kayo pwedeng siraan ng mga kapitbahay niyo and suffer the same fate…
…be more circumspect people…
“What is our end game?” – jug
Palagay ko, many are feeling betrayed that Noynoy, instead of making reforms as he promised, is now falling into the same GMA shithole characterized by crony capitalism, weder-weder leadership, twisted voodoo economics, we-did-it-because-we-can accountability, show-me-your-evidence-then-sue-me type of justice and other things many had hoped they saw the end of the moment Gloria left Malacañang.
These are red flags political watchers, no, even your local barber, have been keenly observing and every time Noynoy appears to detour from the straight path, he needs to be reminded about it, AT ONCE.
Instead of looking at it negatively, I believe it even needs to be encouraged, after all, this is not just about the success of Noynoy being able to crawl out of the Gloria Disaster in one piece, but the collective achievement of this Pinoy race to finally prove once and for all that we are capable of doing things right for a change. That was until the hostage fiasco hit us with the deadly force of Ondoy and Pepeng combined.
It does not help our plight, therefore, if the aftermath of a bungled hostage crisis is marked by even more shameful episodes of cover-up and whitewash, side-by-side the inclusion of close allies and family members in illegal gambling. It does not need geniuses to figure out that the mud being thrown in his direction are minor, maybe petty, issues that if he cannot wiggle out of this predicament satisfactorily now, how can he handle the bigger ones if and when they occur? Get the doables over and done with NOW so he can find time dealing with the bigger issues immediately. Is his team’s bench so shallow he cannot even find a replacement for a mere Rico Puno?
Many of his detractors will grab every opportunity to knock him out cold, but if he continues to show weakness and procrastinate or fiddle with his decisions, he is dead meat. Of course, experienced managers like yourself know that.
After Gloria, we need everyone to work for the success of the country, not just for Noynoy, so it is disheartening that those who wish to contribute by means of voicing out their concerns will be gagged, disregarded and considered “not so close” to them or worse, tagged as the enemy.
The end game, to me, is quite clear. What is right will always be right. That is the “tuwid na daan”.