Mikey’s friends to face jueteng accuser today

Three people tagged as jueteng bagmen of President Arroyo’s son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, will face their accuser at the Senate at 10 a.m. today.

Last week, Rene Maglanque, Arthur Naguit and Leon Katigbak charged confessed jueteng operator Wilfredo "Boy Bicol" Mayor with libel and perjury before the Department of Justice for accusing them of being the younger Arroyo’s bagmen.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan Oscar Cruz said over the weekend the testimony of his second jueteng witness, identified only as "Mr. X," will be "more explosive" than that of Mayor’s.

On the other hand, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said today’s hearing will unmask the persons or groups behind Mayor’s testimony.

"That will come out in (today’s) hearing," she said.

"The bagmen who were named by Boy Mayor (were invited)... (to) explain why (they say) that Mayor was bribed and therefore (committed) perjury," Santiago said.

"If that is their theory, then who are the people behind Mayor. Sino ang mga ’yun (Who are they)?" she asked.

Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Panfilo Lacson can wash their hands of the issue if they elevate to the committee on ethics the question whether they had paid Mayor P5 million to implicate Representative Arroyo, Albay Representatives Carlos Imperial, Joey Salceda and former congresswoman Krisel Lagman-Luistro, and top police officials led by Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao in the jueteng payoffs, Santiago added.

Lacson and Estrada have denied the accusations.

Santiago said the Senate inquiry will not be affected even if Lacson and Estrada elevate the issue of their involvement in Mayor’s testimony to the committee on ethics.

"On the part of the senators, it’s possible that one of them might make a motion to refer the matter to our committee on ethics," she said.

"You know, we cannot say anything against each other because that is considered unethical conduct on the part of the senator."

Santiago said Cruz can provide "relative information" on the accusations of alleged jueteng operators Rizalodo Serilla and Nante Bodino that Lacson and Estrada paid Mayor P5 million.

"Well, that matter is very difficult to prove," she said.

Meanwhile, Estrada has debunked questions on his moral ascendancy to participate in the Senate inquiry on jueteng because he himself has been accused of pocketing millions from the illegal numbers game when his father was president.

"Don’t be a hypocrite.. I was bailed out because of lack of evidence," he said.

Estrada denied Santiago’s claims that the opposition was trying to brew up the impeachment of Mrs. Arroyo, reminiscent of the events that toppled President Joseph Estrada on Jan. 20, 2001.

"Hindi ako naniniwala sa impeachment trials (I don’t believe in impeachment trials)," he said.

"Mas naniniwala ako in people going to the streets. Let the people talk. I would rather believe in people taking to the streets," he said.

During last Monday’s initial hearing presided by Senators Manuel Villar and Lito Lapid, chairmen of the committees on public order, and games and amusement, respectively, Mayor said jueteng payola was distributed in cash to the alleged bagmen or through a still undisclosed bank account.

The payoffs took place at the Manila Hotel, Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City, or the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City, he added.

On the other hand, Santiago strongly believes the jueteng controversy is part of an attempt by some groups to derail Mrs. Arroyo’s governance.

"The only possible result is really political in nature," she said.

"That means they are hoping that they can initiate negative publicity against the administration... (start a) bandwagon that can lead to (the gathering of a) number of signatures against the present administration that will lead to the impeachment (of President Arroyo)."

Otherwise, the "operators" would have filed criminal charges in court rather than resort to trial by publicity through a Senate investigation, she added.

Last week, Mayor accused Naguit of having personally negotiated for the payola of Representative Arroyo when he was Pampanga vice governor.

He met Naguit while he was starting operations in Baguio and Benguet sometime in 2002, he added.

Mayor said through intermediaries he was able to take over jueteng operations in Pangasinan after his "administrator" – a certain "Boy Bata" - negotiated with Lito Manora, allegedly Lomibao’s "jueteng confidante."

In 2003, he had delivered jueteng payoffs to Lomibao when he was Ilocos regional police director, Mayor said.