Apalit mayor retracts statement he received P200,000 a month in jueteng payola

Apalit, Pampanga Mayor Tirso Lacanilao now says that a total of P500,000 had been left on his table at the town hall on three different occasions by unidentified persons, contrary to his earlier statement to The STAR that he took P200,000 in payoffs from jueteng lords.

In an affidavit submitted to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the 65-year-old Lacanilao said sometime in 2002 or 2003 during his second term, he was surprised to see on his table a paper bag containing P200,000 in P20, P50 and P100 denominations.

"It has been my policy that my office is always open to my constituents because I want them to be closer to me and I always have an open hand to help them in their financial or other problems, especially the needy ones, through my limited resources," he said.

Lacanilao said that upon seeing the paper bag containing the P200,000, he immediately asked his employees if they knew who had placed the money on his table, but none of them could tell him anything.

"It is against my will to pocket the money or place it in my own bank account or to the account of our municipality because I thought then that it came from illegal means, particularly jueteng, and it was left to my table as bribe money to stop us, with the cooperation of the police, in our intensified campaign against jueteng," he said.

Lacanilao said that he waited several days for someone to claim the P200,000 on the belief that somebody had lost the bag of money.

"I don’t have enough evidence that it came from jueteng, so I decided to ask the advice of my friends on what to do with the money until I decided to distribute it to my constituents who are coming to my house for help and alms," he said.

"I also told reporters (mediamen) that the money had helped many of my constituents because my salary of P22,000 every month as Mayor is not enough to accommodate all of my needy constituents."

Lacanilao said that two or three months after he found the P200,000, another paper bag containing P150,000 was left on his desk.

"Like what happened during the first incident, none of my employees could tell me where the money came from and who brought it to my desk," he said.

"I did the same process, I gave the money to my needy constituents, but I strictly ordered my staff to investigate deeply on it and identify the man who left it at my table."

Lacanilao said that a month later, another P150,000 was left on his table, and that this time it was contained in a small envelope.

"My staff could identify the man if they will see him again," he said.

"I ordered them to know his name, his job and his address and I told them that once they see him again, call the police and have him arrested.

"Few days later, my staff reported to me that the man who delivered the money to my office is a jueteng collector. Maybe, the news that I ordered my staff to arrest the man (resulted in) none of them delivering money to my office again."

Lacanilao said his staff learned after investigating that the man who delivered the P200,000, P150,000 and P150,000 on three different occasions could be a certain Dante Sese, an alleged jueteng collector/operator, or bookie collector.

"I told the media about this to inform the public that jueteng is a reality in my municipality during those times and to share my personal experience to the people," he said.

"I am confident that this will help the government in its investigation, but the result was different because I was turned into a laughingstock and is being condemned.

"I did not expect that my good intention and sincerity in revealing my experience will be given wrong and negative meaning. This is not fair."

Police later told him that Sese, who is from Calumpit, Bulacan, is already dead, he added.

Lacanilao said he has not received any payoff from jueteng operators in his municipality.

"I only found the money on my table and it was only later that I learned that it was intended as bribe from a jueteng operator," he said.

Lacanilao has asked Gonzalez to allow him not to personally appear at the investigation being conducted by the special committee against jueteng and other illegal numbers games, and to just make him submit an affidavit.

His doctor, Bayani Sediego, Apalit municipal health center medical officer, had advised him that it would not be good for his health to face an investigation and media interviews because he is suffering from "ischemic heart disease, diabetes melutus type II," he added.

In a medical certificate attached to Lacanilao’s affidavit, Sediego said that a day prior to consultation, Lacanilao had episodes of "angina occlusonling," which is characterized by "heaviness on the chest and body weakness."

Sediego advised Lacanilao to "rest for further recuperation and avoid stressful environment."

In media interviews, Lacanilao admitted that he had received jueteng payola because his meager salary is not enough to support the needs of his poor constituents.