President Estrada ordered yesterday the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to suspend the controversial Bingo 2-Ball meant to eradicate the illegal jueteng operations in the country.
The suspension order came on the eve of a projected "tell-all" exposé by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson who has accused the President of receiving some P220 million in jueteng protection money since taking over the presidency.
Mr. Estrada directed Pagcor to terminate its contract with his friend, Charlie "Atong" Ang, whose company, Prominent Management and Consultancy, was awarded the exclusive contract to operate Bingo 2-Ball nationwide, "pending review of the system and operating procedures."
The President also expressed regret that Ang got involved in the Bingo 2-Ball operation and caused much controversy.
Efforts by The STAR to reach Ang for comment on the suspension of Bingo 2-Ball proved futile.
Mr. Estrada directed Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora to review the setup of the numbers game "to ensure government interest is protected."
The President said he "was of the opinion that jueteng was something that couldn’t be stopped, so he wanted government to benefit from it somehow, even if it meant stepping on (gambling) operators who are close friends" like Singson.
Press Undersecretary Mike Toledo insisted that Mr. Estrada’s directives had nothing to do with the Singson’s exposé that he has been remitting over P30 million a month to Mr. Estrada’s relatives and close friends, along with top Malacañang officials.
A Pagcor official admitted earlier that it only had verbal approval from the Palace to implement Bingo 2-Ball.
"The President has ordered Zamora to review this because as of now, this particular contract has not been approved by the Office of the President. What’s going on is a test-run or a trial run," Toledo said.
"We want to find out if it can eradicate jueteng. As you know, jueteng is a very popular game and even past administrations tried to wipe it out. That’s the reason for the review," Toledo said.
He said the test-runs were being conducted in five regions.
Toledo also revealed that the Chief Executive has ordered Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson to intensify their campaign against jueteng.
Zamora stressed that jueteng corrupts local government and police officials, while the government earns nothing from this lucrative underground business.
"Bingo 2-Ball was supposed to stop the corrupting influence of jueteng while at the same time, generate revenues for the government," Zamora said.
"But we have to make sure there are no loopholes that can be exploited by unscrupulous operators and similarly ensure that government revenues are optimized," he added.
Toledo said Ang’s consultancy contract with Pagcor will also be terminated, including the one covering jai alai, Toledo said.
Singson’s charges, Toledo said "hits into the integrity of the administration and, necessarily, of the country."
Toledo denied reports that Malacañang was placating Singson.
"We are not placating him. The government is not trying to placate anyone," Toledo stressed.
He admitted that the country is beset with problems and does not need unnecessary distractions.
"I think all of our energies should be focused on the task at hand which is the impending oil price hikes. Energy should be focused on ensuring that we are globally competitive with our Asian neighbors," he said.
He branded Singson’s charges as "irresponsible" and "devoid of any evidence" as he cautioned the governor and other sectors who wanted to ride on the issue or conduct "political gimmickry" to achieve media mileage for their own benefit.
Toledo said Singson’s refusal to issue a sworn statement before investigating bodies does not exempt him from criminal prosecution that may be initiated by Malacañang.
He said Singson may be held liable for libel as a result of his accusations against the President.
This tended to belie the claim that Ang never used PNP officers to pave the way for the Bingo 2-Ball by sweeping out jueteng operators.
The sources said Ang "wined and dined" certain police officials.
Ang earlier urged Singson to exclude the PNP and Malacañang from his allegations.
Lacson told reporters that he and Ang were not close friends. "We are acquaintances. I met him when President Estrada was still vice president during (my stint) in the (defunct) Presidential Anti-Crime Commission," Lacson said.
Apparently irked by the reporters’ line of questioning, Lacson shot back: "Why will I conspire with Atong Ang?"
Isabela Rep. Heherson Alvarez hailed Mr. Estrada’s decision to suspend Bingo 2-Ball, saying the administration should stop promoting a culture of gambling among Filipinos.
Alvarez, secretary general of the opposition Lakas-NUCD, said Pagcor, instead of stamping out jueteng, merely made a replica of the illegal numbers game.
House Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Lakas, Quezon City) said the President should not only scrap Bingo 2-Ball but stop Pagcor’s "gambling mania" altogether.
He recalled that Pagcor had also wanted to introduce gambling in every Filipino home and office through the on-line or Internet betting.
Assistant Majority Leader Rodolfo Albano II of Isabela also lauded the President’s move. "It means that the President is sensitive to public opinion and does not protect his friend Atong Ang."
Albano warned the people, however, that jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling could still flourish.
Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (Lakas, Bukidnon) said Mr. Estrada did not have to cancel Bingo 2-Ball had Pagcor not abused its authority.
He said besides making a spawn of jueteng, Pagcor entered into an onerous contract with Ang in violation of its own charter.
"Ang gets 77 percent of all Bingo 2-Ball proceeds, while the Pagcor charter sets the limit for management fees at only 10 percent," Zubiri said.
He added that if Pagcor’s estimate of P24 billion of the total Bingo 2-Ball projected annual sales is correct, Ang stands to rake in P18.5 billion yearly.
Zamora expressed surprise upon learning of the sharing scheme and immediately ordered the review of the contract.
For his part, Deputy Minority Leader Sergio Apostol said with the suspension of Bingo 2-Ball, people would no longer be lured into gambling with their hard-earned money.
"In these times of economic difficulties, the government should be providing more jobs instead of gambling opportunities," he said.
Apostol added that with Bingo 2-Ball now scrapped, the police should find it easier to eradicate jueteng.
Apostol also called for an immediate public investigation in the controversy spawned by Singson’s exposé.
He suggested that the probe body be composed of members of both chambers of the legislature, the judiciary and private sector representatives.
He urged Mr. Estrada to consult with the people in naming the members of the panel.
The inquiry, Apostol said, should be broadcast live on national radio and television for total transparency and should be conducted immediately.
"The raging media war on the controversy will lead to nothing more than tarnished reputations and endless accusations," Apostol said in a statement.
"Accusations will never ferret out the truth. What is needed is evidence to pin down the guilty and eliminate menace in society. Let the axe fall where it should, at once," he said. "Otherwise, spare the people of a useless exchange of charges and let’s go on with building the nation."–With Christina Mendez, Jose Aravilla, AFP