MANILA, Philippines—Three councilors from Infanta, Quezon, on Tuesday exposed links of higher officials in the municipal government to jueteng operating under the guise of Small Town Lottery (STL).
Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, who heads a nationwide campaign against gambling, said the emergence of the councilors was proof that jueteng continues under the Aquino administration.
“This goes to show that jueteng continues and we also continue to ask the Department of Interior and Local Government why until now it’s still thriving,” said Archbishop Cruz.
The three officials were the latest whistle-blowers, which the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, headed by Archbishop Cruz, has presented to the public.
In a weekly forum hosted by the Catholic Media Network, Councilors Mannie America, Maxiel Mortiz Jr. and Lord Arnel Ruanto showed reporters video footage of Infanta Vice Mayor Ricardo Macasaet III supposedly forcing them to accept P12,000 in jueteng payola.
Ruanto said he discreetly captured the video using his cell phone when Macasaet called them to a meeting in America’s residence on January 28 and March 9.
In the video recording, Macasaet asked the three councilors to allow jueteng in the municipality and cease attacking the illegal numbers racket in their privilege speeches in exchange for the “monthly payola,” recounted Mortiz.
In compelling the three officials to accept the P12,000, which was supposed to be split by them, the vice mayor also “bragged” that the municipal mayor, Filipina Grace America, was also accepting P200,000 in monthly jueteng payola, added Mortiz.
“As he presented the money to us, he told us that he has arranged everything and he already talked with the head of the jueteng operations,” Mortiz said during the forum. “He also said that even if we did not accept the money, we’re already part of the payroll.”
The video also showed the vice mayor mentioning other municipal councilors accepting between P4,000 to P10,000 in monthly jueteng payoffs. Reporters attending the forum on Tuesday were provided a copy of the video.
The three councilors also alleged that the illegal numbers racket would not continue to thrive in Infanta if the mayor, other town officials and its police chief, Chief Insp. Dodgie Binaid, were not involved in it.
Ruanto said they already sat down with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and also presented the video. They have also submitted to him a written report last week.
In the report, the three asked Robredo to hale to court all the officials who have links to the illegal numbers racket and replace Binaid as Infanta’s chief of police.
The three councilors also filed grave misconduct and bribery charges against Macasaet.
In a phone interview, Mayor Grace America said she was surprised over the allegations against her.
“I don’t really know anything about that,” the mayor said.
She said that the only gambling operation in her town was STL, which she said was legal.
“There is no reason for its operator to give payola to local officials,” she said. With a report from Delfin Mallari, Inquirer Southern Luzon