Pangasinan gov’s legal counsel claims harassment : Jueteng on in northern Luzon despite ‘gov’t drive’

Despite an ongoing probe of the Department of Interior and Local government on the alleged involvement of Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino on jueteng, the multi-billion “underground industry” is still thriving in northern Luzon provinces. 

This, despite the Philippine National Police’s “one-strike policy” which involves sanctions for chiefs of police like being relieved from their posts if jueteng is found in their areas of responsibility.

The supposed government’s drive against the illegal numbers game is just that – all for show, according to pundits who said what government spokesmen have been airing in the media were just that – “praise releases.”

To date, sources said jueteng is still on in regions 1, 2 and 3 in northern Luzon including the Cordillera where the game is still proliferating in in Baguio and Benguet towns La Trinidad, Mankayan, Buguias, Tublay, Itogon, Tuba and Atok. 

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

In Pangasinan, Bugallon town Mayor Rodrigo Orduna who earlier accused his erstwhile boss Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino of his direct involvement in the operations of jueteng in all six districts in the province, said he was sticking to his statements.

The charge was denied by the governor, but the issue has

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

Last week, the lead legal counsel of dismissed as “pure harassment” the plunder case filed against his client by Orduna who accused him of receiving jueteng payola.

“We see no strong case against the governor,” said lawyer Abraham Espejo in a recent meeting with reporters at the Capitol Resort.

Espejo, dean of the College of Law of New Era University, said the governor’s defense panel will use the same statements made by Orduña during a Senate investigation into the jueteng scandal some two years ago.

Espejo alleged that the complaint was “part of a demolition job against the governor waged by his political foes so they could catch up from trailing miserably in the surveys.”

The Senate had cleared the governor based on the statements of Orduña who was then called to testify in favor of Espino during the Senate inquiry, he said.

Espejo said the governor’s political detractors might suffer the legal consequences of their misdeeds.

 “The defense panel is ready should the Ombudsman recommend for a full trial on the allegations of plunder,” he said.

Espejo said despite the controversy, Espino “remains a strong ally of President Aquino and that he continues to support the Aquino administration.”

“As he supported President Aquino’s campaign in the 2010 elections, the governor is still 100 percent behind the President because he belongs to the ruling coalition. As a loyal partyman he will not in anyway jeopardize his relationship with the President,” Espejo said

Espino is a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

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

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 DILG 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 RoqueVersoza, 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.”

“Only the financers of jueteng gain from its operations,” Versoza said,  adding, “if one wants to stop jueteng operations, it only takes political will.”