‘Jueteng lord’ guns for city council seat

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — A trip to Hong Kong and P100,000 pocket money.

With these alleged promises, suspected jueteng lord Melchor Caluag, alias Ngongo, who won as chairman of Barangay Dolores here in the July 15 elections, has reportedly mustered enough support to catapult him to the city council.

Reliable sources said Caluag had allegedly given P20,000 as "goodwill money" to at least 21 of the city’s 34 barangay heads in exchange for their votes for him as president of the city’s Association of Barangay Captains (ABC).

Caluag only needs 18 votes to win the ABC election next month. A victory will entitle him to a seat in the city council.

Rodolfo Ferraren, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, vowed to investigate the report. "There’s definitely something wrong with it," he said.

Last year, Caluag ran for city councilor but lost.

Police arrested Caluag last month on illegal gambling charges. He is out on P10,000 bail.