It has become a bad habit that everytime now retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Pangasinan would whistle blow "open secrets" about syndicated jueteng gambling, the Senate convenes its Blue Ribbon committee. In the 10th and the 13th Congress, their respective Senate Blue Ribbon probers conducted full-blown hearings, purportedly in "aid of legislation" and in full brouhaha.
This third time, Archbishop Cruz has again fed the rumor kitty full: 4 governors in Luzon as jueteng operators, 2 Palace figures are receiving P2M a month as protection money, and 8 church diocese as beneficiaries. Pressed for names, the naughty Cruz demurred, saying that law enforcers, have to perk up their noses and do their job. He added that this is the last time that he picks up the slack against jueteng lords.
Incidentally, that lady whistle blower, Sandra Cam, who figured as resource person in the previous Blue Ribbon probes, has angrily blurted that she now refuses to be "used". In tears, Sandra Cam denounced the Senators' grandstanding at the expense of the whistleblowers' lives, with one already rubbed out. Never again shall she be used for a useless undertaking which at the end produced nothing, no remedial legislation.
Incidentally, she named recently-installed PNP top honcho, Director General Raul Bacalzo, Jesus Verzosa's replacement, also receives jueteng protection money.
Gen Bacalzo is insistent that except for his field PNP assignment in Nueva Ecija some nine years back, his long stint has been with the PNP top directorate, that is, far from jueteng influence and inaccessible to lend any protection. In short, he denies Sandra Cam's recent whistle-blowing. And now, he is primarily tasked to stamp out the syndicated juetengs scourge.
Although Archbishop Cruz refused to finger the alleged two high officials close to the Palace, DILG USec Rico Puno and just retired Dir. General Jesus Verzosa's names came up as recipients of jueteng "payola" at P2M or P5M a month. Ironically, Puno and Verzosa had just been burned in the hostage taking crisis.
Both denied any involvement in the gambling syndicate. Again, like in the hostage tragedy, Puno is very effusive of his desire to resign from his Cabinet post, as he has also vowed to put finis to jueteng.
Meantime, one of the Luzon governors being implicated was recently named by Municipal Mayor Braganza of Pangasinan as Governor Amado Espino Jr. as jueteng operator in Pangasinan. Like the others so far identified, Governor Espino came out on TV vehemently denying the denunciation.
Following the apprehensive stance of Arch. Oscar Cruz as well as this third Senate Blue Ribbon jueteng expose as liable to be another inutile investigation, whistle-blower Sandra Cam is angrily dismayed, and vows not to be "used" again by the Blue Ribbon "grandstanding".
On the other hand, Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr. as chairman of the Blue Ribbon now, appears to be determined in pursuing the probe relentlessly. Would his persistence bear fruit as to crucify before public exposure the government functionaries in high places who are the jueteng protectors? Could the Blue Ribbon put "finis" to the "unstoppable" gambling scourge?
Odds are high that jueteng is here to stay. Anybody willing to bet that jueteng or even "masiao" be eliminated? As long as the poverty level is that high, or that worse, small-time betting is always the prevalent reality with their few pesos or loose change!
After all, "jueteng", or "masiao", or even legalized "lotto", could be the only and slim chance for the poor to strike the pot, no matter how high the odds of hitting it hot. There's that Cebuano "pamasin", or "panaghap", as in "Basin na lang og hitaghapan".
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Email: lparadiangjr@yahoo.com