Miriam tackles 'jueteng' in Puno probe

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz on Friday said they believe that jueteng operations in the country flourish because government officials are protecting the jueteng lords.

Cruz said jueteng being "illegal", its operations would have been “impossible” without someone protecting them.

“Imposibleng wala, kasi ilegal iyan,” Cruz told the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes & Laws, chaired by Santiago. The committee is undertaking an evaluation of resigned Interior and Local Government undersecretary Rico Puno under the Administrative Code and the 1990 DILG Act, as amended by the 1998 Police Reform Act.

Puno had left his post at the DILG following reports that he went to the condominium unit of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to secure documents regarding to the investigations done by Robredo on several questionable deals, including procurement of police firearms.  Puno was undersecretary for police matters.

Despite his statement, Cruz conceded that he could not produce evidence about jueteng operations in the country.

“You understand that I'm angry. One thing though that this informational structure cannot and would not be able to present is hard evidence on jueteng operations for the reason that [their transactions] are in everything and anything, especially money and they come in cash and no receipts are given,” Cruz added.

Santiago said under Puno’s term, the government’s fight against jueteng hardly made a dent to the operations of the illegal numbers game.

Although lawmakers have passed heavier prison terms and penalties for jueteng, Cruz said the problem is the weak implementaion of the law. 

"My heart goes to the legislative, because lawmakers have been increasing the penalty against jueteng. That's well and good. Sa executive department, nandoon po ang problema, wala po sa inyo," Cruz said.

Baseless accusations

Meanwhile, Puno belied the allegations hurled against him as a protector of illegal numbers game, jueteng, and has been receiving jueteng payola.

In his opening statement at the Senate hearing, Puno said  these accusations remain to be lies and baseless.

"Two years ago, I faced this august body to answer accusations in the media against my person in connection with illegal gambling or jueteng. I was accused of being a top jueteng protector, my accusers wanted everyone to believe that even if I was only months in office, I was able to rise to be a great power that they pictured me to be in such a short time.

"Fortunately, what came out from these hearings and hearings before the lower house is but one truth, my accusers have no evidence whatsoever to substantiate their accusations...this only shows that my accusers either knowingly lied through their teeth or irresponsibly maligned my person on the strength, or the witness of their hearsay sources," Puno said.

He also maintained that there was no raid on the condo unit of the late DILG chief as reported in the media.

"There was no such raid," Puno said, adding that there were witnesses to bolster his contention.

He  said  his decision to keep silent amid allegations against him has given the impression that he was guilty of  committing these allegations.

"My silence has been propagated to be a sign of guilt," he said – Cheryl M. Arcibal and Dennis Carcamo