Ping: Erap coddled jueteng operations

Sen. Panfilo Lacson virtually accused former President Joseph Estrada of coddling jueteng operations in the country during his stint as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Lacson also revealed yesterday in an interview with ANC that he had declined an invitation to testify for Estrada because this could compromise the defense of his former boss.

Lacson said he was not sure if his testimony would contribute to the defense of Estrada in his plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.

The senator revealed having disagreements with the former chief executive over issues of jueteng during his stint as PNP chief.

Lacson recalled that right before his appointment as PNP chief, he discussed the issue of jueteng with Estrada, emphasizing his sentiments against the illegal numbers game.

Lacson pointed out that his predecessor, Roberto Lastimoso, was reportedly getting P5 million in payoffs from jueteng operators, as claimed by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.

On the possibility of "inheriting" the monthly payoff, Lacson reminded Estrada that he would refrain from getting the money.

"I told the President that… I told him, I confronted him, ‘I know, Sir, my would-be predecessor was receiving P5 million. I would like to tell you right here and now that I’m waiving that, I’m not accepting that,’" Lacson said.

According to Lacson, Estrada never denied that jueteng payoffs were being made to PNP chiefs.

He said Estrada left it up to his discretion whether or not to accept the payola.

In the same interview, Lacson said he was also aware of how Estrada transferred jueteng proceeds to the Muslim Youth Foundation.

While appreciating the noble objective of integrating the Muslim youth into mainstream society by offering them scholarships abroad, Lacson said that he could not agree with the methods used to finance the program.

Lacson said he told the President of his sentiments on jueteng and how its operations could affect their reputations.

Noting his goal to reform the PNP from its low public perception, Lacson said receiving jueteng money would only compromise this objective.

"But how could I reform the PNP when people down below would know that no less than their chief PNP would be receiving P5 million a month from jueteng operators or from the collector himself, Governor Singson?" Lacson asked.

"He respected my position on that. In fairness to him, he never forced me (to accept the P5 million)," he added.

Eventually, Lacson had a falling-out with Estrada when he started cracking down on jueteng operations across the country.

He recalled being in the "doghouse" for almost two months in 2000 at the height of the campaign against jueteng.

"The President wasn’t talking to me. I knew I was hurting the project — not necessarily his personal interests, but his interests in the project. I thought I would be removed as chief PNP before my term would end (in) four years," he said.

There were also instances when the former president "reminded" him about his sentiments on the jueteng issue and that even Singson had joined Estrada in trying to convince him to soften the drive against the illegal numbers game.

On one occasion, while acting as one of the judges for a beauty pageant at the Araneta Coliseum, Lacson recalled receiving a cellular phone call from Estrada.

Instead of Estrada, Lacson said it was Singson on the other end of the line trying to convince him to take it easy on jueteng.

Singson then passed the phone to Estrada who also pleaded to take it easy since the campaign drive was adversely affecting the livelihood of operators, Lacson claimed.

"But that’s more or less the story behind the jueteng issue which unfortunately or fortunately started the whole issue. Because that’s when Singson walked away from the former president," Lacson said.

Though the ouster of Estrada was painful for him, Lacson said his former boss could have met with a different fate had he listened on the issue of jueteng.

"When I was hurting, I was telling them, ‘Kung nakinig sa akin si Presidente sa jueteng, siguro di nagkaganito, siguro nakaupo pa siya (If the President had listened to me on jueteng maybe it would not have come to this and maybe he would still be in power)," Lacson said.