CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The new Philippine National Police director in Pampanga does not think the illegal numbers game jueteng exist in the province.
“Meron ba rito (Does it exist here)?” Senior Supt. Gil Lebin Jr. answered back when asked by Punto Central Luzon! how he would deal with jueteng which, after the quarry scam, Gov. Eddie Panlilio planned to stamp out.
In the same interview immediately after he assumed on Tuesday the post as officer-in-charge, Lebin did not give an assessment of the Pampanga situation.
Lebin replaced Senior Supt. Keith Ernald Singian, OIC for two years who would assume the post of chief of sdirectorial staff at the regional police office in Camp Olivas.
His priority, he said, is ensure peace and order in the home province of President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Sought for comments, Panlilio said: ”Based on our study, jueteng operations is camouflaged by the small-town lottery (STL). STL is very rampant. It’s a very efficient system in hiding jueteng.”
The Philippine Sweepstakes Charity Office, which owns the STL franchise, started giving permits to private corporations to operate the STL in 2004. STL operators count at least 16, PCSO records showed.
“When [Lebin] says he does not know that jueteng is operated in Pampanga, that raises a lot of questions,” the governor noted.
For one, he asked if the anti-jueteng reputation of his choices—Sr. Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag and Sr. Supt. Sonny Cunanan—- was the reason why they were not appointed although they have been nominated and endorsed by the Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board (SOPBB).
Lebin’s appointment came on the heels of three resolutions issued by the National Police Commission in the last 20 months. None of those resolutions listed Lebin as a nominee. Two of the resolutions were not officially transmitted to Panlilio.
“This is wrong. This is a game that the people must stop. It’s a very vicious way. Forgive my term, binaboy nila ang proseso ng PNP, pinaglaruan nila, pinaikot-ikot ang gobernador,” Panlilio said of how the PNP handled his requests to have what to him is a morally upright police director.
Lebin also assumed the post although Panlilio has tried to block it through requests made to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa on Monday.
“Is this also why my 18 requests to the PNP and the [Department of Interior and Local Government], done in person four times and copy furnished to President Macapagal-Arroyo, not heeded?” the governor further asked.
Panlilio also took note of the fact that Lebin was recommended by the Pampanga Mayors’ League, “who is chaired by the son of the alleged jueteng lord in Pampanga.”
He was referring to Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda who had been implicated in jueteng scandals investigated by Congress in 1994, 2000 and 2005. A regional trial court cleared the elder Pineda of the charge on corrupting public officials in 1995.
A copy of Resolution No. 52 of the PML, furnished to Panlilio on Feb. 3, showed it was signed by all mayors except Mayor Pineda who was indicated in the document as being on official leave then.
Panlilio said he has nothing personal against Lebin. Considering however the stringent process of the SOPBB and the decision made by Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, to recommend him, he said he could not accept the appointment of Lebin.
De la Cruz said he did not act on the recommendation of the PML. “I choose him in my roster of officers, he was the only one available and qualified to be in Pampanga,”
Lebin said he returned to the Central Luzon police “last January.” De La Cruz said Lebin came back to the regional headquarters in “late last year.”
According to De La Cruz, the SOPBB was preparing another list from which Panlilio can choose the next provincial police director.
He said he had to put in Lebin to stop the governor’s repeated clamors to replace Singian.
Singian, although as an OIC since January 2007 under former Gov Mark Lapid, had managed to stay on longer reportedly through the intervention of Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo.
To this allegation, De La Cruz replied: “Mikey does not meddle into police matters. I am the regional director. I decide matters here.”
Lebin, a Baptist whose wife is a Catholic, said he wanted to make a courtesy call to Panlilio as soon as possible.
“Meron ba rito (Does it exist here)?” Senior Supt. Gil Lebin Jr. answered back when asked by Punto Central Luzon! how he would deal with jueteng which, after the quarry scam, Gov. Eddie Panlilio planned to stamp out.
In the same interview immediately after he assumed on Tuesday the post as officer-in-charge, Lebin did not give an assessment of the Pampanga situation.
Lebin replaced Senior Supt. Keith Ernald Singian, OIC for two years who would assume the post of chief of sdirectorial staff at the regional police office in Camp Olivas.
His priority, he said, is ensure peace and order in the home province of President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Sought for comments, Panlilio said: ”Based on our study, jueteng operations is camouflaged by the small-town lottery (STL). STL is very rampant. It’s a very efficient system in hiding jueteng.”
The Philippine Sweepstakes Charity Office, which owns the STL franchise, started giving permits to private corporations to operate the STL in 2004. STL operators count at least 16, PCSO records showed.
“When [Lebin] says he does not know that jueteng is operated in Pampanga, that raises a lot of questions,” the governor noted.
For one, he asked if the anti-jueteng reputation of his choices—Sr. Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag and Sr. Supt. Sonny Cunanan—- was the reason why they were not appointed although they have been nominated and endorsed by the Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board (SOPBB).
Lebin’s appointment came on the heels of three resolutions issued by the National Police Commission in the last 20 months. None of those resolutions listed Lebin as a nominee. Two of the resolutions were not officially transmitted to Panlilio.
“This is wrong. This is a game that the people must stop. It’s a very vicious way. Forgive my term, binaboy nila ang proseso ng PNP, pinaglaruan nila, pinaikot-ikot ang gobernador,” Panlilio said of how the PNP handled his requests to have what to him is a morally upright police director.
Lebin also assumed the post although Panlilio has tried to block it through requests made to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa on Monday.
“Is this also why my 18 requests to the PNP and the [Department of Interior and Local Government], done in person four times and copy furnished to President Macapagal-Arroyo, not heeded?” the governor further asked.
Panlilio also took note of the fact that Lebin was recommended by the Pampanga Mayors’ League, “who is chaired by the son of the alleged jueteng lord in Pampanga.”
He was referring to Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda who had been implicated in jueteng scandals investigated by Congress in 1994, 2000 and 2005. A regional trial court cleared the elder Pineda of the charge on corrupting public officials in 1995.
A copy of Resolution No. 52 of the PML, furnished to Panlilio on Feb. 3, showed it was signed by all mayors except Mayor Pineda who was indicated in the document as being on official leave then.
Panlilio said he has nothing personal against Lebin. Considering however the stringent process of the SOPBB and the decision made by Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, to recommend him, he said he could not accept the appointment of Lebin.
De la Cruz said he did not act on the recommendation of the PML. “I choose him in my roster of officers, he was the only one available and qualified to be in Pampanga,”
Lebin said he returned to the Central Luzon police “last January.” De La Cruz said Lebin came back to the regional headquarters in “late last year.”
According to De La Cruz, the SOPBB was preparing another list from which Panlilio can choose the next provincial police director.
He said he had to put in Lebin to stop the governor’s repeated clamors to replace Singian.
Singian, although as an OIC since January 2007 under former Gov Mark Lapid, had managed to stay on longer reportedly through the intervention of Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo.
To this allegation, De La Cruz replied: “Mikey does not meddle into police matters. I am the regional director. I decide matters here.”
Lebin, a Baptist whose wife is a Catholic, said he wanted to make a courtesy call to Panlilio as soon as possible.
