Ex-Pagcor chief clears Erap on Bingo-2 Ball

A defense witness in Joseph Estrada’s corruption trial said yesterday the former president did not have anything to do with a short-lived gambling venture by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) that was seen as a legalized version of jueteng.

Prosecutors charge that Estrada, on trial for allegedly amassing billions of pesos from an illegal gambling protection racket during his aborted presidency, was involved in Pagcor’s so-called Bingo-2 Ball. Bingo-2 Ball was aborted when it drew criticism for its similarity to jueteng shortly before Estrada was impeached in late 2000 for alleged massive corruption.

Pagcor’s chief during the Estrada administration, Alice Reyes, told the Sandiganbayan that the gambling venture was "aboveboard" and that Estrada was not involved in its development. The only time she heard from Estrada, Reyes said, was sometime in 2000 when he phoned her and ordered Bingo-2 stopped.

"The former president called me, ordering to stop the Bingo-2 ball because of questions of legality. I guess he wanted it to be more thorough before we finalized it. We informed him this was under trial (basis) and he said if it was good and will displace jueteng, then go for it," she told the anti-graft court.

Reyes, the defense panel’s 21st witness, said Estrada did not benefit from Bingo-2 ball, contrary to prosecutors’ accusations that it was one of Estrada’s illegal money-making schemes. "This (did) not go directly to the President himself, but to the President’s social fund. Funds were audited by (the Commission on Audit), even the operators would be audited," she said.

Bingo-2 Ball ran for only a few days in late 2000 before running into criticism that it was merely a legalized version of jueteng, small-town lottery games that are banned by the government.

Past proposals to legalize jueteng had been quickly shot down after the Roman Catholic Church, among other sectors, charged the game cultivated a "culture of gambling." The Church wields strong political clout that most politicians fear in this largely Catholic country.

Also questioned was the fact that close Estrada associate and reputed "jueteng lord" Charlie "Atong" Ang had been recruited to operate Bingo-2 Ball and was Pagcor’s consultant in its development.

"Jueteng and Bingo-2 are almost the same except that the winning number in Bingo-2 would be drawn in public. All would be aboveboard because it would be approved by Pagcor. No more payments under the table. The income would go to the government," Reyes said under cross-examination by lead state prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio.

However, the televised game did not last. "We did not reach two months," Reyes testified. "After 20 days we had to stop operations. There was no contract yet. Nothing was finalized. It was based on a verbal agreement. Two months was the supposed duration of the Bingo-2 Ball dry run."

Ang became Pagcor’s consultant as early as 1998, the year Estrada won the presidency by a landslide, Reyes said, adding that she knew Ang was a close Estrada associate, "being a big player in casinos."

Pagcor officials had a meeting on Bingo-2 Ball sometime in September 2000 with about 35 people, who Reyes described as "experts on gaming operations."

Under questioning by Villa Ignacio, Reyes refused to categorize them as "jueteng lords" but acknowledged the presence of suspected Pampanga jueteng kingpin Rodolfo Pineda at the meeting. Pineda served as the group’s spokesman, Reyes added.

Estrada’s chief accuser and also the prosecution’s main witness, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, was invited to the meeting but declined to attend, Reyes said.

Estrada was ousted in 2001 by a military-backed popular uprising following accusations that he illegally amassed up to P4 billion from an illegal gambling protection racket that he ran during his 31-month presidency.

He also allegedly pocketed state funds intended for tobacco farmers. Estrada was replaced by then vice president Gloria Arroyo.

Estrada denies the charges and maintains his ouster was illegal and he therefore enjoys parliamentary immunity.