Esperon: Crimes make Ang paranoid

Charlie Ang—RICHARD A. REYES

Charlie “Atong” Ang is just paranoid because of his illegal activities.

This was the reaction of a high-ranking Cabinet official who, along with other top officials, had been accused by Ang, a known gambling financier, of plotting to kill him to control the gambling trade in the country.

Hermogenes Esperon, national security adviser, said Ang’s claim was just a manifestation of fear that his illegal activities were coming to an end.

In a letter to the  Inquirer, Esperon said Ang was just being paranoid, calling it a normal reaction of people engaged in crimes.

“It is very likely that he is concocting tales again,” said Esperon of Ang.

“Is it any wonder he is making noise? He is not the one who would get killed. His illegal gambling operations are,” said Esperon, former armed forces chief of staff.

A top Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) executive also expressed disbelief at Ang’s story.

“Mr. Atong Ang is a questionable character operating illegal ‘jueteng’ in the provinces and fooling the media and the people,” said Jose Jorge Corpuz, PCSO chair.

“Meridien is a jueteng front,” he said.

Ang had accused Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, too, of being in on the plot.

“Atong Ang wants media attention because STL is gaining ground against his illegal Meridien,” said Corpuz, referring to small town lottery which the government had deployed to beat jueteng.

“Natural market forces are working against him (Ang),” said Corpuz, noting that STL operations have expanded from 18 to 91 this year.

Ang had been a gambling buddy of former president Joseph Estrada, who was convicted of plunder with the help of testimony from Ang.

Estrada was eventually pardoned by his successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who had herself been charged with plunder.

Ang is now general manager and consultant of Meridien Vista Gaming Corp., a company that runs jai alai games with license given by the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.

Meridien had been able to set up betting stations outside the ecozone, however.

Corpuz admitted he had met Ang in September last year during which Ang introduced himself as owner of Meridien.