Cruz on payola expose: We have informants

MANILA
, Philippines – The anti-jueteng advocacy group has several informants coming from the Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to give inputs on jueteng operations, according to former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

"They (informants) do it for free. They just want to help," Cruz said at today’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged jueteng payola given to some top government and police officials.

He said some of their informants come from the dioceses of the Catholic Church nationwide.

"These are very, very common citizens in the country who are fed up with the shenanigans of government," Cruz added, noting that his group, Krusada Laban sa Jueteng, has done background checks on those who want to help them or give information.

Cruz has given the committee, chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, a list of names of government and police officials who have been allegedly receiving money coming from jueteng operations in the country, including DILG undersecretary Rico Puno and retired PNP chief Jesus Versoza.

The list also includes names of jueteng operators and "good" sources of information on the illegal numbers game.