Jueteng whistle-blower now seeks NACC help

ANGELES CITY — A jueteng manager, who went missing after exposing the activities of a suspected big-time gambling lord in Central Luzon, has surfaced and is now seeking protection from the National Anti-Crime Commission (NACC).

"I now want the protection and help of the (NACC) or perhaps the intelligence office of any ranking political official who could give me protection," said Ruben Marin, 35, who had escaped from the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to air his appeal.

Marin said the recent NBI raid of jueteng dens "seems to have merely ended in some arrangements" between the agency and suspected gambling lord Melchor Caliuag.

"No one has even been charged as a result of the raid," he said.

Marin claimed that a "blue book" seized by NBI agents from Caliuag’s residence in San Fernando City is now missing.

The book is believed to contain the list of high-ranking police and government officials reportedly receiving payola from Caliuag.

Last March 2, Marin sought the Society of Pampanga Columnists to expose the alleged jueteng operations of Caliuag who, he claimed, was earning as much as P2 million daily in Angeles alone.

He said Caliuag was being coddled by high-ranking police and local government officials.

Marin said he has been receiving death threats since his rift with Caliuag over money matters last December.

He claimed to have paved the way for Caliuag’s takeover of jueteng operations in this city and that he (Marin) received P18,000 daily as jueteng station manager.

Four days after his exposé, the NBI raided jueteng dens in Central Luzon, resulting in the arrest of some 60 people.

Marin bewailed the alleged ningas cogon of NBI regional director Anthony Liongson on his exposé against Caliuag.

He said he had stayed in an NBI safehouse since he went missing following his exposé, but that he resented the tight watch of his NBI custodians.

The office of Sen. Panfilo Lacson had tried to track him down to ask him to testify before the Senate committee on peace and order which was conducting hearings on jueteng when he made his exposé.

Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, Central Luzon police director, had similarly asked his men to look for Marin to investigate his allegations against Caliuag.

Asked whether he would like to be placed under Lacson’s custody, Marin said he would prefer to seek protection from Berroya.

In an earlier privilege speech, Lacson accused Berroya, along with other government officials, of receiving bribes from jueteng lords. Berroya denied the allegation.