Palace tells Isabela governor to act on jueteng

Instead of simply complaining about the proliferation of jueteng in her province, Malacañang told Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca yesterday to gather evidence and file appropriate charges in court.

"As governor, she should do something about it and not just announce it to the media," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said. "What’s important is for evidence to be gathered so that it can be brought to the proper courts so that those guilty can be tried."

News reports earlier quoted Padaca as saying the reason why jueteng, an illegal numbers game, had not been stopped in Isabela, Cagayan and Quirino was because the mayors there were on the take.

She noted the mayors, particularly in her province, use money from jueteng to finance their community projects.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao told reporters in Malacañang yesterday that the three-strike policy, in which police commanders are automatically relieved once three anti-jueteng raids have been conducted in their area of jurisdiction, is being reinforced.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said jueteng continues to proliferate in the country due to a lack of whistle-blowers and the failure of police to arrest gambling lords.

"We lack the real whistle-blowers. We only arrest the collectors. This is the flaw of the system. These are bailable offenses," he said.

Gonzalez said he fully supports the congressional inquiry into the proliferation of jueteng in the country to enable lawmakers to create new measures to solve the problem.

He added he does not see a problem with Sen. Lito Lapid’s leading the Senate investigation into jueteng even though his son, Pampanga Gov. Mark Lapid, is among those being investigated.

"Under Senate rules, any senator can participate in the investigation in aid of legislation. Lapid is not the only one who will undertake the investigation," Gonzalez said.

He added it is actually an opportunity for opposition senators, led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, to see Lapid’s true colors by allowing him to lead the Senate investigation even if it involves his own son.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said Pimentel’s move questioning the fitness of Lapid — who chairs the Senate committee on games, amusement and sports — to lead the Senate inquiry had technically deferred the first meeting, set for tomorrow, to an unknown future date until the issues were resolved.

Drilon suggested that two Senate committees conduct the inquiry. The chamber said the issue will be decided by the Senate committee on rules chaired by Senate Majority Leader Francisco Pangilinan, who is still on vacation in the United States with his wife and children.

During yesterday’s session, Pimentel reiterated his call for Lapid to inhibit himself from the Senate inquiry. Lapid, in turn, asked Pimentel to specify who among the members of the Senate games committee, in his opinion, had "clean hands."

"Is it you? Is it Jinggoy?" Lapid said in Filipino. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is the vice chairman of the Senate games committee. His father, deposed President Joseph Estrada, is accused of accepting money from jueteng.

Pimentel also questioned Lapid’s association with Bong Pineda, tagged as one of the major jueteng operators in the country. He pointed out that Lapid’s son "cleared Bong Pineda, who everyone in Pampanga and in Central Luzon, including the Archbishop of Lingayen (Oscar Cruz), says is involved in the operation of jueteng."

Lapid said he was acquainted with the alleged jueteng operator during his term as Pampanga governor because the latter’s wife, Baby Pineda, was mayor of Lubao, Pampanga.

Pimentel also asked the chamber to resolve which Senate committee should lead the jueteng inquiry since his April 20 privilege speech was referred to the committee on public order and illegal drugs while the resolution calling for an investigation was referred to Lapid’s committee. Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. heads the committee on public order.

Drilon said the two committees may hold a joint hearing but must submit separate reports, which the Senate can later study. He added that technically, Lapid does not need to inhibit himself since he and Villar can act as co-chairmen. — With Jose Rodel Clapano, Christina Mendez, Mayen Jaymalin