Lacson bares more Erap jueteng tales
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/14/2009 7:09 PM
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MANILA - Sen. Panfilo "Ping” Lacson, in a privilege speech on Monday, said that then President Joseph “Erap” Estrada repeatedly asked him to let the illegal numbers game “jueteng” operate during the Estrada administration.
“Ping, iniisip ko pagbigyan na lang natin itong jueteng,” said Lacson, recalling a conversation with Estrada when he was still a senior Philippine National Police (PNP) officer.
Lacson said he was taken aback by Estrada's statement since he had helped in the work of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC), which Estrada headed during the Ramos administration.
Lacson said the gains achieved through Estrada's anti-crime work gave him enough reason to fight electoral fraud in the 1998 presidential polls, which Estrada handily won.
He said his belief in Estrada's leadership was reinforced by his private conversations with the then vice president, who vowed to fight crime and corruption. “I was impressed,” said Lacson.
“Shocked and surprised”
Thus, Lacson said he was shocked and surprised when Estrada asked him in June 1998 to let “jueteng” operate.
He said he was once invited by Estrada to talk about the possibility of appointing him PNP chief, but Estrada instead “expressed his thoughts on jueteng and how he intended to deal with it during his presidency.
“Alam mo, ang mga governors at mayors, lalo na iyong mga tumulong sa akin sa eleksiyon, wala sila nang katulad nang sa
President’s Social Fund na galing sa PAGCOR. Marami silang gastusin at sa jueteng lang nila puwedeng kunin ang pera,” said Lacson, again quoting a conversation he had with Estrada.
In response, Lacson said he told Estrada: “Iligal iyan at presidente na kayo. Huwag na kayong makialam sa jueteng...Sasabog kayo diyan at masisira tayo pareho."
He said Estrada was visibly irritated and reportedly told Lacson: “Sige, saka na lang tayo mag-usap."
Lacson also alleged that Estrada sounded him out about giving a monthly allowance to the Presidential Anti-Organized Task Force (PAOCTF) from illegal sources.
“Saka Ping, iyong mga tao natin dati sa task force, gusto ko rin silang bigyan ng monthly allowance,” Lacson said, quoting Estrada.
Lacson said that their men only wanted a simple increase in the subsistence allowance, meaning additional funds which should be from government funds.
“Deal breaker”
Lacson also said that his appointment as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on November 16, 1999 was implemented “only after persistent second thoughts by the appointing authority.”
He also recalled an instance when he was asked to go to Tagaytay by the president’s “cohort” Jaime Dichaves. He said Dichaves told him he was to be informed that he would be appointed as PNP chief.
However, the meeting discussed jueteng instead.
“Ping dapat pagbigyan natin ang operation ng jueteng. Maraming umaasa diyan. Mga 75,000 ang empleyado diyan, isama mo ang pamilya abot ng 300,000 mga mamamayan,” Lacson said, quoting their conversation in the living room of a Tagaytay rest house.
Lacson said he realized then that jueteng would be the “deal breaker” in his getting appointed PNP chief. His difference with Estrada about jueteng was the reason why he was not appointed PNP chief in June 1998.
Lacson said he kept his “immovable” position against the illegal numbers game.
He said Estrada eventually appointed him PNP chief, but this came about after a “huling hirit (last pitch)” by Estrada for jueteng.
Lacson said he told Estrada that he was aware of a monthly “SOP” (standard operating procedure) of P5 million being given by Luis “Chavit” Singson to the PNP chief as part of an “organized payola.”
He said he told Estrada he would not accept it.
Lacson said he later learned that Estrada told Singson to remit to the president the “payola” from jueteng supposedly for the PNP chief.
Earns Estrada's ire
When he was PNP chief, Lacson said the “no-nonsense” campaign he launched against the illegal numbers game earned the ire of Estrada.
He said that it was also then that his “life became miserable.”
He said it was common knowledge that in the second part of 2000, he had been declared “persona non grata” by Estrada in Malacañang.
Lacson his stand against “jueteng” made Estrada deal directly with his subordinates in PAOCTF and the PNP.
Lacson said a PNP regional director who followed his order against jueteng earned the ire of Estrada.
“Napagalitan ako ni presidente,” Lacson said, quoting the unnamed PNP official.
He said it was also because of “jueteng” that Estrada ordered then Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim to remove from Lacson the authority to appoint and remove his subordinates in the police organization.
He said he also learned that Estrada wanted him removed from his post and started for looking for a legal justification.
Lacson said that Estrada’s stance on jueteng is an example of “what Estrada was as a government official and as president of this country.”
He said there were other “sinister behavioral patterns.” With reports from the ABS-CBN News Channel
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