Gambling lord is brgy poll bet in Pampanga

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Suspected gambling lord Melchor Caluag, alias Ngongo, whose operations dragged many police officials, including Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya into controversies, has his name plastered all over this city.

He is running for barangay captain of vote-rich Dolores where he has reportedly been playing the role of the legendary Robin Hood in his neighborhood. His posters now proclaim him "boses ng masa," the same monicker he employed when he also ran for city councilor but lost in the 2001 elections.

Caluag is facing charges of illegal gambling before local courts but has always bailed himself out before he could be arrested. Local policemen are said to be at his beck and call. Only recently, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) sought the relief of Berroya , along with six other police officials in other regions, after three or more raids on jueteng were conducted in each of their areas by law enforcement units which were non-organic to their commands. The raids in Central Luzon were reportedly on the jueteng operations of Caluag.

"Sigurado panalo siya sa barangay elections. Lahat ng kubrador at mga cabo niya sa jueteng gumagalaw. (He will surely win in the barangay elections. All of his jueteng managers and bet collectors have been mobilized)," said one Dolores resident who asked not to be named, adding that despite Caluag’s likely victory, he would not vote for him.

"Iyan lang ang umpisa nya. Balang araw, hahabol ng gubernador "yan. (That’s just the start for him. Someday he will run for governor)," he added.

Records from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) indicated that there are about 8,000 candidates for barangay captain and council members in the entire Pampanga.

Among the prominent names listed, together with Caluag, were those of provincial board member Mark Lapid, son of Gov. Lito Lapid, and Robin Nepomuceno who is also reportedly planning to run for mayor of Angeles City in 2004.

Mark became member of the provincial board as representative of the Sangguniang Kabataan, while Nepomuceno is running for reelection as the barangay chief of Cutcut in Angeles.

Also running for barangay chief is Vice Gov. Mikey Arroyo’s legal consultant, lawyer Noel Flores in Barangay Balibago in Angeles City, local radio boradcaster Ben Baltazar of Barangay Dau in Mabalacat, and the sons of Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales and Mexico Mayor Ernesto Punzalan.