Archbishop dares gambling lords

 

JUETENG lords are up to their old tricks indicating that it’s now “business as usual” in Pangasinan. They are again offering and paying monthly to payolas to both protectors in government and the police, and yes, the media.

This was validated by the recent attempt a of jueteng lord protector to bribe Terry Aquino, news director of ABS-CBN Dagupan last Sunday.

She promptly turned over the P8,000 cash “gift” consisted of two P1,000 bills, nine P500 bills and 15 P100 bills to Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese and  founder of the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Sugal.

The amount reportedly represents her one week payola from the jueteng lords who now operate with impunity not only in Mangaldan but also the San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag, all in the fourth district of Pangasinan.

Archbishop Cruz confirmed that jueteng now operates in all towns of Pangasinan, except in Dagupan City.

Aquino said an emissary of the jueteng lord whom she did not identify, made the drop-off at their house in Mangaldan, and coursed through her father.

Aquino said when her father turned this over to her, she immediately called Archbishop Cruz in Dagupan City and asked that she turns this over to him for and to serve as evidence in any future jueteng congressional investigation.

In a talk to her fellow newsmen in Cruz’ office, Aquino said she learned that the amount was being given to her for her to “lie low” and stop her reports against jueteng which resumed operations in the fourth district of Pangasinan.

But Aquino said she would not make her family feed on dirty money.

The turn-over was witnessed by Heny Omaga Diaz of ABS-CBN’s Triple X public affairs program.

She withheld he identity of the jueteng lord for security considerations.

Archbishop dares
‘jueteng’ lords

“Hit me if you want but please spare the media”.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz had this message to the jueteng lords after being informed of their attempts to intimidate and threaten media if a payola offer fails.

The latest attempt was revealed by the news chief of ABS- CBN TV Patrol Northern Luzon based here who received jueteng bribe money wrapped in a green gift wrapper.

The P8,000 cash, delivered by an unidentified emissary of a suspected jueteng operator in fourth district of Pangasinan, was handed to Terry Aquino last Sunday  night in her residence in Mangaldan town. The giver immediately left after handing the “gift”.

Puzzled, confused and afraid why she was being gifted with cash, Aquino immediately reported the matter to her superiors and to the archbishop.

Aquino, accompanied by Henry Omaga-Diaz, anchor of TV Patrol World, personally turned over the money to Cruz yesterday at the Archbishop’s Palace.

In their presence, Cruz opened the “present” which contained P8,000— two P1,000 bills, nine P500 bills and 15 P100 bills.

Cruz, chairman of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa  Sugal, said,” This is not the way of civilized people because to bribe people in order to get away with crime is not the way of the civilized, nor the wise nor the prudent”.

“Never mind if they try to bribe me by giving checks, or threaten to kill  me, or attempt to destroy me but they must not attempt to harm any media.

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