Solon to Lina: Get the ‘big fish’, put them behind bars

Caloocan City Rep. Enrico Echiverri yesterday asked Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jose Lina Jr. to cut what he suspects to be a plain political trick in his drive against jueteng and instead work to really get the "big fish" and put them behind bars pronto.

Echiverri likewise threatened to hit the DILG where it will hurt most if Lina fails to deliver the DILG budget.

"I am questioning Mr. Lina’s sincerity in his avowed fight against jueteng in this country. If he really means business, I dare him to keep his hands off the police he has chosen as sacrificial lambs for some doubtful reasons and get the "big fish" instead," Echiverri said.

"If he does his work, we will go all out for him in the fight to stop all forms of gambling and move to increase his present budget in the next committee hearing to help ensure the campaign’s success," the lawmaker said.

Echiverri, who is deputy majority leader and vice-chairman of several congressional committees including local government, ways and means and games and amusements, said that if Lina is unable even to come out with a verified list of bigtime jueteng lords, then all the sound and fury behind his crusade allegedly only smacks of "unadulterated political gimmickry." Lina is believed to be running for another tour of duty at the Senate in 2004.

"I am daring him to name the big fish, if they have not been identified already, in two weeks," Echiverri said even as he clarified that he has nothing personal against the DILG secretary.

"In fact, I am helping him to ferret out the truth, I am fully in support of the anti-jueteng drive. All I am asking is for him to identify these jueteng lords, herd them all together and charge and prosecute them in court and jail them." Echiverri said.

The lawmaker also questioned the timing of the seven top PNP officers’ relief. He opined that Lina could simply be putting to maximum use the media mileage he can draw from the controversy considering that the officers’ sacking came at a time when there is an existing ban on the transfer, hiring and firing of government personnel in the run up to the barangay elections on July 15.Until now, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not acted on the officers’ relief.