Puno to offer courtesy resignation

MANILA, Philippines - Amid accusations linking him to jueteng payoffs, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for peace and order Rico Puno said yesterday he was ready to resign.

Puno told reporters he would submit his resignation to President Aquino when the latter returns from abroad.

“I have already said that several times, that if I am a burden to his administration, I am ready to go,” he said.

It is up to the President to accept his resignation, Puno added.

He said he would be out of the country when Mr. Aquino returns from the United States.

“I will be back by the first week of October,” he said.

Puno denied the allegations of Archbishop Oscar Cruz linking him to jueteng, and that all negative information being fed to the media was a demolition job against him.

“Again let me reiterate – I deny all the accusations against me,” he said.

“I have never and will never receive any payola or bribe from jueteng or any illegal activity or for any illegal purpose.

“To those that have accused me, please do not use esteemed people like Archbishop Cruz to legitimize your attempts to save your illegal activities.”

Cruz: I fear for my life

Lingayen-Dagupan Emeritus Archbishop Oscar Cruz fears retaliation from those affected by his jueteng expose at the Senate hearing last Tuesday.

“Of course I’m afraid,” he said.

“There are shameless people so how can you stop worrying.”

Cruz, Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng founder, said those involved in jueteng are influential people who might exact vengeance on him.

Last week, he received mail in his office at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in Intramuros, Manila containing a paper with his face printed on it and with the message: “Shut up!” he added.

Sister Mary John Mananzan, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) co-chairman, said they are willing to provide security to Cruz if his life is in danger.

The AMRSP would help if Cruz would ask for assistance, she added.

However, Mananzan believes that Cruz would not require security from the AMRSP since he is a prominent member of the CBCP. “He is more secured with the CBCP,” she said. “We are talking about the CBCP here.”

The AMRSP could also offer sanctuary to future jueteng whistleblowers whose lives might be placed in danger, Mananzan said.

Pineda denies jueteng links

Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda denied yesterday that she and her husband are involved in jueteng or that her husband had met with Puno.

Speaking on ANC Television, Pineda said her husband, Bong Pineda had not mentioned anything about meeting with Puno.

“I don’t know about that,” she said.

“As for my husband, I don’t know and he never mentioned anything to me about meeting up with Usec Puno.”

Pineda said she is still verifying information from Cruz that jueteng is proliferating in Pampanga.

“What I know is the small town lottery,” she said.

“As what Bishop Cruz is saying about jueteng in Pampanga, I’m still verifying it with the provincial director.“

Ang: I’m not behind exposé

Gaming consultant Atong Ang denied yesterday  reports that he was behind the jueteng exposé of Cruz.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Ang said he merely explained to Cruz the mechanics of jueteng, small town lottery, jai alai, loteng, last two, swertres and other forms of legal and illegal numbers game during a meeting in a restaurant.

“And this conversation has enlightened the bishop with the operations of the illegal numbers game, especially how jueteng operates,” read the statement.

Ang said this could be the reason why Cruz considers him a good “resource person.”

“Bishop Cruz’s group has been monitoring jueteng for decades now and even without me, they already know who are behind it,” he said

Ang denied claims that he was orchestrating the investigation on jueteng to benefit his gaming ventures.

“All the innuendos are the tactics of gambling operators to divert the attention of the investigation,” read the statement.

“They fed wrong information so that the Senate inquiry would focus on me.” 

He is not involved in any illegal numbers game, Ang said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Alexa Villano, Evelyn Macairan, Nestor Etolle