GMA dismisses Lacson’s jueteng raps vs Singson

Mere election bravado.

This was how President Arroyo dismissed yesterday the claim of former police chief Panfilo Lacson that Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson allegedly met with jueteng operators to find a means to legalize the game.

"Well, he is running for senator," said Mrs. Arroyo with raised eyebrows when asked to comment on Lacson’s charges against Singson, who blew the whistle on the gambling connections of former President Joseph Estrada.

But even as she did not give credence to the allegations, the President said her administration will continue to enforce the law against illegal gambling, of which jueteng is a prime activity.

"The policy is we have to obey the law, and the law says it (jueteng) is illegal," she said.

Lacson, running for senator under the Estrada-backed Puwersa ng Masa, said the other day that Singson met with gambling operators at the Galleria Suites on Ortigas Feb. 16 to draft ways to legalize jueteng.

For his part, Interior Secretary Jose Lina told The STAR yesterday that he too believes Lacson’s allegations have no basis.

"Governor Singson himself vehemently denied to me there have been such meeting of jueteng lords he went to. He said he was elsewhere that day," Lina said.

In Davao City, Lacson said he did not doubt Lina’s sincerity in his fight against jueteng, but stressed government must be able to place necessary safeguards should the administration eventually decide to legalize it.

"These safeguards should properly be implemented by the right agencies so that government’s share should go to government," Lacson said.

Lina denied Monday that Singson was employed by his department in the anti-illegal gambling drive.

Lina, who was among the Cabinet members present in Mrs. Arroyo’s press conference yesterday, disclosed that he has already issued instructions to the Philippine National Police and local executives to strictly enforce the anti-jueteng drive.

"And by March 1 we will put up the billboard already in Camp Crame. The billboard will indicate the provinces and the status of illegal gambling in their respective jurisdictions," Lina said.

He said if a town is twice found to be positive of clandestine gambling operations, the town chief of police will be sacked. – Marichu Villanueva, Edith Regalado