GMA’s House allies denounce opposition’s ‘hypocrisy’ on jueteng

Allies of President Arroyo in the House of Representatives denounced yesterday what they described as the opposition’s "hypocrisy" in regards to the latest jueteng scandal.

At the same time, Representatives Prospero Pichay Jr. and Prospero Nograles of Davao City accused opposition leaders, specifically Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, of allegedly launching a disinformation campaign to make the public believe that jueteng is worse under the Arroyo administration than during the protracted presidency of ousted leader Joseph Estrada.

Besides Binay and his opposition colleagues, Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz holds the view that illegal gambling is worse now than before.

"It’s the height of hypocrisy for the opposition to make comparisons since their leader was deposed precisely on the basis of the jueteng issue. How can they say jueteng is worse now than before when Estrada, according to testimonies presented in his plunder trial, directly benefited from jueteng? No less than the lawyer of Estrada’s camp admitted the payments were deposited in his Jose Velarde account," Pichay and Nograles said.

"It’s unfair for them to blame the Arroyo administration for this problem since this has been in existence since Spanish times and embedded in our culture," the two said in a joint statement.

They added that the opposition has no moral authority to pontificate about jueteng.

In a related development, Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez said Bishop Cruz phoned him yesterday to deny reports (not in The STAR) quoting him as saying that the congressional inquiry on jueteng would result in nothing.

"The fact that he appeared in the hearing last Tuesday of the House committee on public order and security shows his faith and confidence in the congressional inquiry," he said.

He said the committee has taken "one major step: urging the PNP (Philippine National Police) task force on jueteng to gather evidence… and confront local officials with such evidence to prod them to take action against jueteng in their areas, failing which the penalty provision of the new anti-jueteng law, Republic Act 9287, should apply."

"Under RA 9287, a local official who fails to abate illegal gambling, or fails to take action or tolerate illegal gambling, can be punished with permanent disqualification from public office," he stressed.

He added that the Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) are the implementing agencies of what is billed as a tougher anti-jueteng law.

Golez pointed out that in the case of police officers in areas where there is illegal gambling, it is the DILG and Napolcom that should take action against them.