Gambling lords frequent Malacañang visitors

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Gambling lords frequent Malacañang visitors
LIST OF JUETENG KINGS GIVEN TO GLORIA; STILL NO ACTION TAKEN

By Gerry Baldo
Sunday, 08 07, 2005

Malacañang need not look too far to charge and arrest gambling lords, as they are frequent visitors of the Palace, and guests of President Arroyo, a reliable source, who is moreover an administration ally, told the Tribune yesterday. The highly-placed source in the Arroyo administration who requested not to be identified yesterday disclosed that gambling lords are often in Malacañang even as he admitted that jueteng, if stopped, could hurt the “rather harmonious relationship” now between Mrs. Arroyo and the local chief executives who have given their all out support for the beleaguered Chief Executive. At the same time, in a media forum held at the Sulo Hotel, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who was appointed head of the government anti-jueteng task force by the President, disclosed that he had already identified some 12 ranking jueteng lords who are behind the jeuteng operations on a national level and had already submitted their names to Mrs. Arroyo, adding it is now up to her to lower the boom on them, so to speak.

The Tribune source also said the Hagedorn list that was handed to the President, included, among others, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, a frequent Palace visitor and a supporter of Mrs. Arroyo, Armand Sanchez of Batangas, as well as Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, who has been pointed to by former Palace functionary Michaelangelo Zuce as having financed the candidacy of Mrs. Arroyo, from her senatorial days.

The Chief Executive and her relatives stand accused of having benefited from jeuteng payoffs, with witness Sandra Cam testifying under oath that she had, at one time, delivered P500,000 to presidential son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, in the congressional session hall, and also personally handed some P400,000 to presidential brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo in his office in Congress.

This was denied by both son and his uncle.

Mrs. Arroyo herself stands accused of having been present at a dinner in her La Vista home in Quezon City with several poll officers to ensure her win in the presidential elections, where money, furnished by Lilia Pineda, wife of Bong Pineda, was alleged to have been distributed to the poll officers.