Cruz prepares last jueteng witness

Despite the loss of two potential witnesses, the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (KBLJ) is now in the process of grooming another possible witness for the Senate inquiry into the illegal numbers game, principal jueteng payola whistle-blower Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said yesterday.

Cruz said two other possible witnesses backed out after seeing how difficult their lives could become if they testified for the KBLJ.

The potential witnesses also expressed doubt that the Senate could do something to stop jueteng even with their testimonies, the prelate said.

However, Cruz said his other potential witness will be totally unlike Garcia and the other "aborted" witnesses. "He appears to know a lot about jueteng operations and he is strong," he said.

Cruz said that, should the potential witness be found credible by the KBLJ, he will be the 15th jueteng payola witness presented by the group.

He added that the statement of former Malacañang aide Michaelangelo Zuce proves that jueteng money was used in the May 2004 elections.

"All the testimonies (given by witnesses) lead to the statement of Mr. Zuce that money from jueteng reaches the highest levels of the government, especially during the last elections," Cruz said in Filipino in an interview with Radio Veritas yesterday.

"We were not able to calibrate the statement of Mr. Zuce because he is not part of our group. Money from jueteng was used in the election from the local to the national levels," Cruz added.

Meanwhile, Cruz asked former KBLJ witness Richard Garcia to stop trying to convince the crusade’s other witnesses, particularly Sandra Cam and Wilfredo "Boy" Mayor, to abandon their fight against the illegal numbers game.

Cruz also said he bears no ill-feelings for Garcia and fully understands his reasons for leaving the anti-jueteng crusade: "Its OK with me. I am thankful for (Garcia’s) help. I understand his reason for leaving. But, he should not be convincing the other witnesses to follow him and also leave. It should be an individual decision."

According to Cruz, Garcia — a confessed jueteng operator — decided to leave the KBLJ because he found the life of a witness unbearable. Garcia acted as witness for the KBLJ for three months.

"It appears that (Garcia) found the life of a witness very difficult," Cruz said. "He was with the other witnesses for three months as they moved from one safehouse to another. He found the life on the run very difficult and he also was worried that he was no longer taking care of his family. He then decided to leave the group."

According to Cruz, Garcia became frustrated and felt that he had been used by the Senate in its jueteng payola probe.

"(Garcia) mentioned once that he felt that he was only being used by the Senate," Cruz said. "He felt that he was abandoned by the Senate after he made his revelations. Perhaps he thought that the Senate investigation would continue uninterrupted. Perhaps he thought that the Senate will be the one to stop jueteng."

"I told him that the executive (branch) will be the one to stop jueteng and not the Senate, which will only be making the laws against it. It appears that he did not understand (that) and he became frustrated," Cruz said in Filipino.

Cruz said Garcia merely left as a witness of the KBLJ but did not retract his statements before the Senate. He also said that two of the crusade’s star witnesses, Mayor and Cam, remain strong despite attempts to bribe them into either going silent or retracting their statements.

Rebuttal

In a related development, United Opposition (UNO) president and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay refuted the statement issued by former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander and Malacañang employee Datu Ahmad Bayam that Binay and former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Liwayway Vinzons-Chato attempted to bribe him into corroborating Zuce’s statements before the Senate jueteng probe.

Bayam was the assistant secretary of former presidential liaison officer for political affairs Jose Ma. Rufino.

Local political consultant Ernesto "Butch" Paquingan said Zuce said in telephone conversations and text messages that the opposition offered as much as P20 million to him to testify against the President.

Provincial election officials Gilbert Palogan of Bulacan and Ferdinand Gerardo of Pampanga said Friday that the camps of opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson and ex-defense secretary Renato de Villa offered money and US visas to them in exchange for their corroboration of Zuce’s poll fraud claims against the President.

Rufino also debunked Zuce’s statements and expressed sadness over his former employee’s recent actions.

Binay called Bayam’s statement "outrageous," saying Bayam was the one "who wanted to talk to me."

The Makati mayor admitted that he and Chato met with Bayam, whom Zuce had tagged as the person who endorsed the appointment of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Bayam has vehemently denied Zuce’s claim.

Binay said a fraternity brother of his sent word that Bayam was requesting a meeting to discuss the matter of divulging more information that would be damaging to Malacañang and would support Zuce’s testimony.

The Makati mayor said he had welcomed this development and suggested that they include Chato in the meeting, since she is Zuce’s lawyer.

He said the meeting was set on the evening of Aug. 4 in Makati City Hall, adding that Bayam arrived at 8 p.m. Binay added that his son, Makati City Councilor Junjun Binay, his spokesman Lito Anzures were also present at the meeting and that Chato arrived later from a television guesting in Quezon City.

Binay said Bayam sought a closed-door meeting with him and Chato so Bayam could reveal the "explosive" information he had.

Discredited Witness

Meanwhile, ranking administration lawmakers said the series of rebuttals made by credible persons, documentary evidence and testimony from Zuce’s victims all show that the opposition’s star witness in the impeachment case against Mrs. Arroyo is bereft of credibility and that Zuce committed perjury.

Lakas-CMD Reps. Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City and Edwin Uy of Isabela said the revelations about Zuce’s money problems, boasts of cash from the opposition and existence of a "Philippine Witness Academy" show an intersection of common motive to destroy the administration.

Uy said it is imperative to probe these attacks on the Chief Executive and gather evidence so cases like perjury and sedition can be filed against those who gave false testimony against the President: "Lawmakers involved in these plots against the President should voluntary inhibit themselves or be made to by the House or Senate leadership."

Uy asked Senate President Franklin Drilon to take cognizance of the new information: "With recognition that these witnesses against the President are paid and suborned witnesses, both the Senate and House now looking into the allegations against the President must be responsible enough to render a fair and impartial judgment."

Domogan said such statements refuting Zuce’s poll fraud and payoff claims and exposed Zuce as a dubious character have given the justice committee, of which he is a member, sufficient reason to treat Zuce’s testimony with utmost caution during the impeachment hearings.

"Zuce’s credibility is destroyed by these statements that belied his claims against the President," Domogan said. "We will consider his testimony on the basis of its contents and the rebuttals issued by individuals concerned."

Persons who came forward saying Zuce’s statements were lies established that Zuce has "problematic credibility," Domogan said.

He added that Bayam disputed Zuce’s statements, saying they are all completely false, and were designed to bring down the Arroyo administration and ruin the reputations and the lives of persons who have voluntarily served their country.

Former San Fernando, Masbate mayor Cherry Abapo also came out, saying Zuce had duped him of P1.5 million to fix his poll protest case, an allegation Zuce confirmed during the Senate hearing.

Zuce admitted at that hearing that he received P250,000 from Abapo through his bank account.

Other members of the justice committee, Reps. Exequiel Javier of Antique and Salacnib Baterina of Ilocos Sur, said their panel may consider Zuce and other such witnesses as "suborned" or bribed to testify against the President and warned these witnesses that they may be prosecuted for perjury. — With Michael Punongbayan