Bugallon mayor files plunder charges vs Pangasinan gov over jueteng

Mayor Rodrigo Orduña of Bugallon, Pangasinan filed at the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday a plunder case against Panagsinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. for allegedly earning around P800 million a year from the illegal numbers game jueteng. At a press conference at Camp Crame on Friday, Orduña said he personally delivered P2.5 million in cash to the governor every Saturday as jueteng protection money. Orduña alleged that Espina led the province's jueteng operations since becoming governor in 2007. Orduña proceeded to the press conference, attended by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Philippine National Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome, after filing the case at the Office of the Ombudsman. The mayor admitted that he was part of the illegal gambling operations but decided to expose Espino after feeling that he was being used. Denial of charges Meanwhile, in an interview with Jasmine Gabriel of GMA Dagupan on Friday, Espino denied Orduña's allegations. The governor said he never received anything from illegal gambling and that he was ready to face the plunder complaint filed against him. Espino also assumes that the move was politically motivated because he is running as a reelectionist for Panagsinan. Orduña denied this, saying “nagkataon lang,” he said. He added that he really wanted to put an end to the illegal gambling operations in the province. Alaminos Mayor Nani Braganza of the Liberal Party (LP) is running against reelectionist Espino from the National People's Coalition (NPC). LP is the political party of Roxas and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. But Roxas insisted that he and his department had no political motives on the issue, adding that it was the first time that he met the Bugallon mayor. “Ngayon lang kami nagkakilala ni mayor,” Roxas said. Roxas also said that the Department of Interior and Local Government will not be biased in investigating the case and will rely on facts. “We will connect facts and figures para malaman kung sino ang dapat managot,” he said adding in reference to Orduña's affidavit “Either mapapatunayan or mapapabulaan lang yan.” Media and police involved? Fernando “Boy Bata” Alimagno, chairman of Baranggay Poblacion Candelario in Quezon backed up Orduña's allegations against the governor. Alimagno said he personally turned over to Orduña the money allegedly given to Espino every Saturday. Alimagno claimed that in 2010, suspected gambling lord Charlie “Atong” Ang allegedly struck a deal with Espino to let him in the jueteng scene under the cover of his Jai Alai sport business. Alimagno claimed that at the time, Senior Superintendent Wilson Lopez, Espino's godson, allegedly replaced Orduña as the governor's protection money collector. Alimagno also alleged that some of the protection money was being disseminated to various people and organizations including the police force and the media. “Meron napupunta sa Crame at sa media sa dyaryo pero alias lang ang ginagamit kaya hindi ko sigurado, narinig ko lang din,” he said. Meanwhile, Bartolome said that Lopez has already been reassigned to a different district and will be recalled to Camp Crame to answer the allegations. Bartolome also said security personnel have already been assigned to guard Orduña and Alimagno as they are considered witnesses. When asked by GMA News Online whether he received any death threats, Orduña said he hadn't but claimed that he noticed suspicious men on motorbikes roaming near his home in November. Orduña added that he was ready to face any punishment for being involved in the jueteng operations in Pangasinan. - VVP/RSJ, GMA News