MANILA, Sept. 10, 2012— Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he already provided the Senate long time ago information, which could help them stop “jueteng” operations in the country.
According to Cruz, if the government really wants to stop the multi-million underground lottery, that information could lead them to alleged jueteng operators and public officials benefiting from it.
Archbishop Oscar Cruz at a Senate hearing on jueteng last year, during which he submitted a list of names of public officials allegedly benefiting from the illegal numbers game.
“It’s all in their minutes and records. They already have all the documents including the list of jueteng lords and beneficiaries,” said Cruz, a vocal critic against gambling.
“Now if they would like to know what is the score then it’s enough for them to go over these resources. So far, the picture has not changed. It’s still the same as far as jueteng is concerned,” he said.
The founder of Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (KBLJ) was reacting to reports that he will be invited again to a Senate inquiry on Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno’s alleged involvement in jueteng on Friday.
Last year, the archbishop identified Puno as one of the Aquino administration officials who are receiving monthly jueteng payola during the Senate investigation on the illegal numbers game.
“We may be wrong that’s why we gave them the list to check on it. We are not saying that we are all correct. What we are saying is that this is what we know… we give it to you, please check,” he said.
Cruz said he has not decided yet whether he will attend the new senate inquiry or not anymore.
“I am still thinking about it in case I’ll be invited but I hope I won’t be invited anymore because I’ve gone there several times already,” he said.
“I have been in the Senate more than once as I have been in the House more than once so I don’t know if that were enough. If we can contribute anything new that’s what I don’t know yet,” he said. [RL/CBCPNews]
