Miriam: DILG, PNP heads get annual P300-M from jueteng

The heads of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have allegedly been receiving at least P300 million a year in jueteng money, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago revealed on Wednesday.

"By allowing jueteng, the two men together will receive at least one percent of jueteng gross receipts every month, or one percent of annual receipts of some P30 billion," Santiago said in her privilege speech at the Senate on Wednesday.

Santiago is on sick leave because of chronic fatigue due to a hereditary heart condition, but briefly appeared at the Senate to deliver her speech about jueteng.

Santiago accused the following persons of allegedly receiving payoffs from the illegal numbers game jueteng:

* Former DILG chief Ronaldo Puno;
* DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno; and
* Former PNP chief Jesus Verzosa.


The following are alleged operators, according to Santiago:

* Charlie "Atong" Ang;
* Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, husband of Pampanga Governor Lilia "Baby" Pineda;
* Danny Soriano (Cagayan, Quirino);
* Aging Lisan (Olongapo, Navotas and Malabon);
* Tony Santos (Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Rizal).
* Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur);
* Bonito Singson (Abra)
* Congressman Singson (La Union);
* a certain "M. Urduna" (Pangasinan);
* a certain "Boy Bata" (Pangasinan);
* one Col. Delos Santos (Zambales);
* Ronald Lim (Manila);
* Don Ramon (Laguna)'
* Boyet Aransa
* a certain "Haruta" (Laguna)
* Eddie Gonzales (Quezon);
* a certain "Don Ramon" (Mindoro Occidental), and
* a certain "Santiago" (Mindoro Occidental).


Jueteng recipients, operators

Ronaldo Puno was the DILG Secretary from 1998 to 2000 during the term of former President Joseph Estrada. He became DILG chief again from 2006 to 2010 during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Santiago has repeatedly accused him of corruption her in privilege speeches. She also accused him of orchestrating the alleged vote shaving and vote padding operations in the 1992 elections that allegedly caused her defeat to President Fidel Ramos.

On the other hand, Verzosa was named PNP chief on September 27, 2008. He retired on September 14 this year.

Verzosa and Rico Puno had earlier been tagged by retired Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz in the jueteng mess, saying they were the ultimate recipients of payola.

Meanwhile, Santiago said long-rumored jueteng lords Ang and Pineda are allegedly the top jueteng operators in five provinces in the Philippines.

Santiago also said Bong Pineda is the alleged main operator in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, Angeles City, Bataan, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon where jueteng earns at least P35 million every day.

On the other hand, she alleged that Ang is the operator in Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Cavite, Mindoro Oriental, Camarines Norte, Albay where jueteng reportedly earns at least P14 million daily.

Santiago said she only covered Regions I to V because her "informants" are still compiling information from other regions.

The flow of jueteng money

Santiago said money from jueteng bets are called "gross receipts" which supposedly reach about P30 billion annually.

She said the provinces with the biggest gross receipts on a daily basis in the five regions are:

* Laguna (P14M);
* Pampanga (P9M);
* Pangasinan (P9M);
* Batangas (P8.5M);
* Bulacan (P8M);
* Nueva Ecija (P7.5M), and
* Quezon (P7.5M).


Santiago explained that from this daily income, the jueteng operator substracts his operation expenses and the jueteng prize money. She said the operator gives the remaining to the syndicates as protection money monthly.

She also listed the alleged flow of jueteng payoffs.

National level

* 1 percent to DILG secretary or undersecretary, PNP chief, and CIDG head;
* 2 percent to PCSO chair, general manager, board directors, legal department, Romualdo Quiñones, a certain Sabella, and their own version of "taxes"; and
* 1 percent to the Games and Amusement Board, Intelligence Officer, and to media)


Provincial and Regional level

* 3 percent to the governor, vice-governor, and provincial council members;
* 1 percent to the PNP Provincial Director;
* 2 percent to the NBI Provincial Director; and
* 1 percent to the PNP Regional Director.


Municipal level

* 5 percent to the mayor, vice-mayor, and city council members;
* 2 percent to the congressman; and
* 1 percent to the local chief of police.


What to do

Santiago said the penalties imposed by the Penal Code on illegal gambling are "inadequate," making it harder to diminish or at least reduce the jueteng operations in the country.

Because of this, she said there is a need to amend the code and provide for a new law penalizing “conspiracy to obstruct justice to facilitate a gambling business."

"Congress should penalize more harshly the party responsible for promoting or facilitating gambling, rather than the person engaging in gambling," she said.

If all else fails, she said they can legalize jueteng and amend the Internal Revenue Code to tax revenues from the illegal numbers game.

"If we cannot prohibit, should we not regulate?" she asked.

No jueteng

On the other hand, Santiago commended the province of Aurora and its Governor Bellaflor Angara Castillo because apparently there is "no jueteng to speak of" in her province.

Kim Tan, GMA News