Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has renewed his call for the Senate to summon suspected jueteng lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda and his wife Lilia to the next public hearing on the jueteng scandal.
Pimentel dared the two Senate committees conducting the hearings — public order and illegal drugs and games, amusement and sports — to finally bring the Pinedas to the chamber and disprove the impression that they are untouchable.
He cited reports that Mrs. Pineda had returned from a 45-day trip to the United States and recently attended a session of the provincial board of Pampanga, where she sits as a member.
Pimentel aired his suspicion that Pineda might already be in the country too, now that his wife has returned.
Mrs. Pineda was identified in last month’s jueteng hearings as the person who allegedly distributed P30,000 each to Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials at the La Vista, Quezon City residence of President Arroyo in January last year.
On the other hand, Mr. Pineda has long been suspected of being a jueteng lord, but these suspicions remain unproven.
Suspicions were also raised that the couple was in Metro Manila as early as Aug. 26, when two luxury vehicles owned by the couple were flagged down by traffic officers in Quezon City and found to be carrying two long and four short firearms.
Pimentel has repeatedly asked the two Senate committees to summon the couple, but they have yet to appear at the hearings.
"No action has been taken on my requests. It’s very obvious that there are powerful hands protecting the husband and wife team," he said.
Pimentel said the Aug. 26 incident in Quezon City was another demonstration of the influence the Pinedas wield, since the drivers of the flagged vehicles were allowed to leave without any sanctions.
"We cannot escape the conclusion that the hands of the President and other high government officials are behind the protection being enjoyed by this husband and wife team," he said.
He also decried the reports of harassment by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of jueteng hearing witness Army Capt. Marlon Mendoza.
According to Pimentel, Mendoza was evicted from his military quarters in Camp Aguinaldo after a break-in by a group of soldiers who allegedly carted away his belongings.
Mendoza was presented by opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson during the last jueteng hearing to corroborate the testimony of former Palace aide Michael Angelo Zuce on the alleged payoff of Comelec officials at the President’s La Vista residence.
"Apparently the administration will not stop (at) discrediting and harassing the witnesses in the jueteng inquiry, making life difficult for them even after the impeachment case against the President had been dismissed," Pimentel said.
"Capt. Mendoza should complain but he should not give up. Fighting for the truth has a price," he added. — Marvin Sy