Gov't ups drive against jueteng in north Luzon

The administration is going against the multi-billion “underground industry” in northern Luzon provinces, a source close to Malacanang said.

The government’s drive against the illegal numbers game is reportedly heading to Ilocos Sur after dealing with Pangasinan even as jueteng is still proliferating in Baguio and Benguet towns La Trinidad, Mankayan, Buguias, Tublay, Itogon, Tuba and Atok. 

The source said the government is now gathering pieces of evidence against a known political figure in northern Luzon and his involvement in jueteng.

Earlier, Bugallon town Mayor Rodrigo Orduna accused his erstwhile boss Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino of his direct involvement in the operations of jueteng in all six districts in the province.

The charge was denied by the governor, tagging it as “baseless” and ill-timed as the 2013 mid-term poll nears.

This reportedly led to the relief last week of Senior Supt. Mariano Luis Verzosa Jr. as Pangasinan police director.

In Camp Florendo, San Fernando Las Union, the Ilocos Region police headquarters, Supt. JovencioBadua Jr., spokesman, said Verzosa will be reassigned to Camp Crame as Senior Supt. ManolitoLabador, PRO1 deputy director for operations, took his place as Pangasinan police chief.

But at Camp Crame in Quezon City in a command conference with newly installed Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima, Chief Supt. Franklin J.B. Bucayu, Ilocos Region police director, said reports like Verzosa’s lackluster handling of drive against jueteng was not the cause of his relief.

“It so happened that he (Verzosa) has a son who is running for an elective post in a town of Pangasinan. It has been our policy in the PNP to preserve non-partisanship of our police officials and so it was a necessary move,” Bucayu said.

Orduna, who has lodged a plunder complaint, said Gov. Espino received an estimate of P900 million in jueteng money and is allegedly protecting its operations.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has formed an investigative body to look into the accusation while the Ombudsman is undertaking a separate probe.

The DILG has also requested the assistance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Anti-Money Laundering Council and other government agencies in the investigation on Espino. 

In Ilocos Sur, only Tagudin town Mayor Roque Versoza, Jr. has declared his town as jueteng-free.  “This town will remain jueteng free,” the town executive said while another town mayor talking on conditions of anonymity said, “mahirap mapahinto ang jueteng.”

Verzosa however is firm, saying “only the financers of jueteng gain from its operations,” adding, “if one wants to stop jueteng operations, it only takes political will.”