Senate jueteng probe resumes Tuesday

The Senate has scheduled a sixth hearing into the jueteng controversy, even though no known illegal lottery operators have been summoned to appear.

Retired police general Restituto Mosqueda, the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Crime Laboratory and Bicol police regional director, was summoned again to testify before the Senate joint committee after failing to attend previous hearings, citing hospital confinement.

Senators Manuel Villar Jr. and Lito Lapid, the chairmen of the committee on public order and games and amusement, respectively, had prepared a list of witnesses and resource persons but none were among the suspected big-time jueteng operators suggested by opposition Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Villar and Lapid have 20 persons on their list. Most of them have failed to appear before earlier hearings.

The only new personality on the Senate list is Rodolfo Hizon III, tagged as the account owner of the P10-million check sent to principal jueteng whistle-blower Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Cruz, who had presented primary witnesses at previous hearings, claimed the check was sent in an apparent attempt to silence him on the controversy.

Pimentel asked Villar and Lapid to summon big-time jueteng operators to testify before the Senate panels.

Pimentel identified the operators as Rodolfo Pineda of Pampanga; Romy Lajara of La Union; Tony Santos of Marikina City; Art Katigbak of Cavite; Melchor "Ngo-ngo" of Caluag, Pampanga; Mario Garcia; Gener "Boy Tangkad" David of Quezon City; and Rosario "Charing" Magbuhos of San Pablo City.

Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez, who heads Pimentel’s list of preferred witnesses, was not invited to next week’s hearing.

He claimed Sanchez was behind the illegal lottery operations in Batangas and other Southern Luzon provinces.

Pimentel said it would be unwise for the Senate committees to terminate the investigation, as was requested by some administration lawmakers, since Cruz still had witnesses to present.

Pimentel wants Pineda to be questioned over claims by self-confessed jueteng money courier Sandra Cam that he (Pineda) offered her a substantial amount of money in exchange for withdrawing her testimony.

Cam claimed she personally delivered monthly jueteng payoffs to Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo and his uncle Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo.

Pimentel has submitted the names of San Rafael, Bulacan Mayor Jesus Viceo and some ranking police officers to shed light on the jueteng payoffs. The police officials include Chief Superintendent Rowland Albano and Senior Superintendents Rodolfo Mendoza and Pat Hernandez.

In the last hearing, Cam’s credibility was placed under question after a local election officer challenged her claims that she was an elected official.

Two of Cam’s supposed victims in a string of estafa cases also came out in the open, accusing her of failing to settle her financial obligations.

Cam vehemently denied the accusations, saying the two "victims" were paid hacks out to destroy her credibility before the Senate as the main jueteng witness.

Cam said she is planning to file a perjury case against lawyers Armando Ricarte and Mosqueda before the Pasay City Prosecutors’ Office today. — Christina Mendez