By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) Updated November 24, 2010
MANILA, Philippines – The House committee on good government decided yesterday to invite Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa and businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang to its inquiry on jueteng.
Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas, committee chairman, said the three would be asked to appear in the panel’s next hearing on Dec. 13.
He said former Dagupan City-Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz would also be invited so he could provide proof of his claim that Puno and Verzosa were receiving P2 million a month in payola from jueteng operators.
Puno – who has admitted that jueteng lords have sent intermediaries with requests for a meeting with him – and the former PNP chief have denied the accusation.
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, one of the authors of three resolutions that prompted the jueteng inquiry, said if Cruz could not produce any document to prove his allegation, his statement would be enough. “It will be testimonial evidence,” he said.
Ang would be invited in connection with another resolution accusing Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. of conducting illegal gaming activities in the Bicol region. Ang reportedly controls the corporation.
Reps. Christopher Co, Rodel Batocabe and Alfredo Garbin Jr. of the party-list group Ako Bicol authored the resolution.
Garbin, who is from Albay, said in yesterday’s hearing that Meridien is a firm based at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
“They were issued a gaming permit by the free port. They should be limiting their gaming activities within the confines of the special economic zone. And yet, they are operating in the Bicol region,” he said.
He said the Department of Justice has issued an opinion that Meridien should confine its operations in the Sta. Ana free port.
Ang has been named by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the country’s no. 1 jueteng lord. He denied the accusation, saying his gaming activities are legal and are covered by a permit from the Cagayan free port authorities.
Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Bagui lat Jr. told his colleagues that he knows that the Sta. Ana free port’s charter allows it to issue gaming franchises, which normally are issued only by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), but the good government committee should determine whether such gaming permits could be used outside the free port.
No comments:
Post a Comment