‘Surprise witnesses’ talk, name M1, M2
MORE REPS, JUETENG LORDS, PNP CHIEF IDENTIFIED
By Angie M. Rosales
Thursday, 05 19, 2005
The identities of the two personalities said to be close to a top Malacañang official and who earlier were tagged in the media as M1 and M2, were virtually confirmed separately by three “surprise witnesses” yesterday in an clandestine interview with reporters.
To date, the identity of JS7 remains a mystery, although a top police chief's name was also dragged into the jueteng payola fray.
In the interview with the witnesses in a “safe house” where they are currently staying, the information that was given by at least one of the witnesses, whose identity cannot be disclosed as yet until the jueteng investigation finally opens and when they are called to the stand, was the alleged involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo as among those in the take while another provided leads on the supposed jueteng payola of Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lumibao.
More names are likely to be dragged when the Senate gets into the “juetengate” scandal as prominent personalities that go all the way to Malacañang are among those to be named by three of the surprise witnesses.
It may be Juetengate Part 2, with the way events are quickly unfolding.
But probably worse than the first jueteng inquiry in 2000 where the alleged jueteng payola was concentrated on then sitting President Joseph Estrada, revelations made by the surprise witnesses showed the alleged involvement as well of some congressmen - both incumbent and former members of the House of Representatives - governors, mayors and vice mayors who had been repeatedly tagged in the past as being allegedly gambling lord coddlers and the top brass from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The situation, however, shows that the supposed connivance by government officials with jueteng lords in the country, and also indicated alleged Palace hands in having the illegal numbers game “centralized” as moves had been taken — after these power personalities realized how lucrative the current P30 billion jueteng industry is — by an alleged Palace crony to gain control of the operations.
As the conflict over which committees in the Senate will take on the task of investigating jueteng remains unresolved, the three witnesses decided to spill the beans.
Since the matter is now in the process of being resolved by the Senate leadership, witnesses were kept at bay to prevent them from making a sudden turn-around.
But three of the seven reported surprise witnesses decided to provide initial statements on what they know of the jueteng operations.
Two are self-confessed bagmen while the other claimed he is a jueteng operator in Albay. They requested anonymity for the moment but vowed to drop more bombshells in a “proper” forum,” the Senate, when they are called to testify.
The alleged bagmen pointed to the presidential spouse and his son, alleging that they were on the illegal numbers racket payola, corroborating earlier reports where eventually they were alluded to as those behind the purported code names M1 and M2.
The witness who asked to be identified as Mr. A. named former presidential assistant for Bicol affairs Mario Espiñosa, former Masbate vice governor, pointing to them as acting as supposed go-between in having the alleged jueteng payola of Mike Arroyo collected.
He alleged that Espinosa tapped him in getting connections with notorious jueteng lords in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Sorsogon sometime between March and February last year or shortly before the presidential elections.
Espiñosa, who is a neighbor, was said to have bragged to him and one of the purportedly jueteng lord whom Mr. A identified as Art Katigbak, that his efforts had the alleged “blessings” of the presidential spouse, while he was trying to strike a deal.
After successfully sealing the alleged arrangement, the supposed payola of Mr. Arroyo from the said provinces, ranging between P200,000 to P300,000 monthly, purportedly was jacked up after the polls as Espiñosa allegedly demanded an increase among jueteng lords.
The witness, when asked to validate alleged involvement of Mr. Arroyo attested that he oftentimes heard Espinosa talk to the presidential spouse.
He claimed to have directly remitted weekly to Espinosa every 8th, 16th, 22nd and 30th day of the month and if the former Palace official was not available, he alleged that he would give the money to the former Masbate vice governor's common-law wife whom he identified as “Lily.”
Mr. A, however, cut off ties with Espinosa last March. Based on the alleged payola given to Espinosa, there is a likelihood that the total remittances could amount to millions monthly, given the numerous provinces purportedly tapped as well.
The other alleged bagman claimed knowledge of alleged jueteng take of presidential son, Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, which he said goes by hundreds of thousands of pesos on a monthly basis.
At one time, the witness who asked to be identified as Mr. R. claimed Mrs. Arroyo's son received P400,000 and even asked a movie personality to split his share.
Mr. R alleged that he principally acted as supposed go-between of “generals,” apparently referring to police generals.
He and the third witness, who opted to go by the name Mr. B, corroborated information on this matter, alleging that the PNP regional office all the way to the Department of Interior and Local Government are supposedly among those given payola.
“They are part of those given by the 'national management' level in the partaking of the payola. The national management usually is allotted 18 percent of the proceeds while the local management that covers the mayors, vice mayors, local police and barangay officials, is given 7 percent,” Mr. B said.
In providing a picture of the operations, the illegal numbers racket appears to be well-organized with payoffs laid down clearly.
Mr. B said alleged jueteng lord, Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, said to have Palace connections, has taken moves to effect the centralization of jueteng operations.
Pineda, he alleged, is seen to oversee the overall operations and this is already causing supposed tension even among other fellow jueteng operators as their income that goes by millions monthly is likely to be slashed heavily.
Mr. B also bolstered the statements of Mr. A as to the alleged involvement of Mrs. Arroyo's son and husband, saying that before they came in into the picture, the PNP regional commands' take in the payola in his province amounted to at least P1 million monthly but this was increased to P1.6 million beginning last year.
It was alleged in the reports when the issue of M1, M2 and JS7 came out that the three alleged jueteng beneficiaries supposed “command” authority as to the alleged promotion in the PNP.
Mr. B also claimed that at least three congressmen in his province receive monthly jueteng payola, adding that other former members of the lower house are also on the take.
When asked to name names, he identified Reps. Edcel Lagman, Carlos Imperial and Joey Salceda as allegedly among those receiving jueteng money.
In Albay alone, he alleged that the three receive P250,000; P300,000 and P450,000 respectively.
Mr. R even showed a supposed ledger of another alleged bagman with the alias “Boy Tangkad” also known as Gener David.
In the said ledger, the information on the monthly jueteng take of PNP chief Lomibao every 15th and 30th of the month, ranged from as low as P130,000 to as much as P1 million supposedly.
Lumibao allegedly is in the payroll, based on the purported ledger, of Governors Luis “Chavit” Singson who allegedly controls the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Sur, Abra and La Union; Apeng Yap of Tarlac, a certain Gov. Sanchez of Batangas; Nueva Ecija Vice Gov. Boyet Joson, Pineda among others.
When asked separately on reasons for their decision to testify on this issue, they gave similar answers, stating they are fed up with the lies being peddled by government officials on the anti-jueteng campaign. “Someobdy has to start speaking and if I will not do this, who will?”
“We can only hope the senators treat us, whistleblowers as whistle blowers and not make as be at the receiving end or the one accused as what usually is happening now in this administration,” he said.
“If this happens, a number of others that we know who are willing to come out in the hope are likely to follow suit,” he said.
Mr. R said it's high time that news reports on alleged jueteng campaign are corrected as most of those that landed in the papers are far from the truth.
For his part, the archbishop pointed out that due to the apparent twin fears of jueteng lords ratting on figures close to her and local officials withdrawing support, Mrs. Arroyo will not likely order a stop to jueteng.
The Prelate explained that jueteng operators will definitely drop bombshells if they decide to come out into the open if Malacañang as much as tries to defy them.
“Before, the government raised fears of narco-politics, or drug lords in cahoots with some officials. Now, what is holding our officials by the neck is jueteng payola,” Cruz said in Pilipino during an interview over radio station dzEC.
“In exchange for their silence, government has to allow jueteng to go on. As a result, it becomes wishy-washy in addressing the jueteng problem. It is a lose-and-lose situation,” he added.
With Jun P. Yap
IMPEACH!
Mike and Mikey Arroyo linked to jueteng!
Originally Posted by dawn runner
IMPEACH! 
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