29 officials involved in jueteng — DILG report

Twenty-nine out of the over 50 jueteng operators in the country are incumbent government officials, a television report said Monday quoting a confidential four-page report by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The list included seven governors, six congressmen, 16 mayors, according to a report in GMA News’ “24 Oras." The rest are private individuals. The report said the names were compiled by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the DILG. The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), meanwhile, said it is open to submit its members to any investigation on the popular illegal numbers game. “Willing naman, open naman yung liga, para ma-imbestiga talaga kung sino ba itong mga sinasabing governors na ito (the league is open to any investigation to unmask these governors)," said Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali, national president of the LPP. Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop and known anti-jueteng crusader Oscar Cruz confirmed that around 90 percent of the DILG list corroborated with the list prepared by his own group, the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (KBLJ).

More lucrative KBLJ said more and more officials are getting involved with jueteng operations since it is reportedly more lucrative than accepting monthly payoffs, which Cruz said amounts to at least P2 million. “Bago pumayag ang mga jueteng lords na ibigay yung jueteng operation sa isang pulis, sa isang barangay captain, sa isang mayor, sa isang gobernador, malaking usapan yan. Ang usapan diyan bilihan. ‘Eto sayo, ako na ang operator dito’," Cruz said. (Before jueteng lords agree to give the jueteng operation to a policeman, to a barangay captain, to a mayor, to a governor, there are negotiations involved. The negotiations are about paying people off.) It would be easy to stop jueteng if the government had the political will to do so, Cruz said. “Bobo lamang ang hindi makakapaghinto ng jueteng sa Pilipinas (Only a fool would be unable to stop jueteng in the Philippines)." Senate hearing On Tuesday, the Senate will conduct a hearing on the jueteng problem in the Philippines. Cruz, who is slated to attend, says he will give senators the KBLJ list of jueteng operators. “Ngayon pag hindi ko nasagot pagka’t delikado ang mga pangalan hihingi ako ng executive session, tapos doon ko sasabihin lahat (If I cannot publicly name the recipients I will ask for an executive session and tell the senators)," Cruz said on Church-run Radio Veritas. Excerpts of the interview were posted Monday night on the news site of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Cruz, who heads a nationwide crusade against gambling, said earlier he will testify before congressional probes on jueteng payolas but said this will be the last time he does so. He is expected to be the lone informant on alleged jueteng payoffs after other witnesses, including Sandra Cam, who had testified in previous hearings on the illegal numbers game, said they will not attend Tuesday’s investigation. The prelate also said he plans to go to the Senate alone, with neither a security aide nor a lawyer. “Pupunta akong mag-isa, walang abogado, walang security. Ano man ang itanong nila sasagutin ko basta alam ko (I will go alone, without security. I will answer whatever questions they have)," Cruz said. DILG officials have also been invited to attend the hearing. - KBK, GMANews.TV