By U.S. News Agency / Asian

“Our mayors are not immoral. We don’t have to question their morality just because they have issued business permits to operators on jai alai operations in their municipality.”

Thus stressed Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. in a hurriedly-called press conference Thursday as he debunked insinuations his administration had something to do with the operation of jai alai in the province.

He said it was unfair that Board Member Alfonso Bince, Jr., the veteran member of the provincial board, would question the morality of the local leaders for simply allowing the game in their respective towns.

Espino was reacting to a newspaper report quoting Bince as saying some influential people had wanted him to go slow on his resolution he had filed that sought to oppose the operations of jai alai in Pangasinan. “Who are these influential people involved here? This is very unfair coming from a seasoned politician. This is a very irresponsible statement,” he said.

On Bince’s “No comment” reply when asked to name the “influential people,” Espino said: “Unfair sa mga colleagues niya ito, kung ayaw niya, ayaw niya, eh kaso ang focus, kami na ang nagmumukhang masama.” He said Bince made himself look good at the expense of others.

The governor stressed that he was against jai alai. He bared that controversial gambling personality Charlie “Atong” Ang brought the game to the province allegedly after attending the birthday party of third district Congresswoman Rachel Arenas. “Binigyan siya ng permit para mag-operate sa third district. Hindi namin pinayagan yan. Kahit kailan hindi namin pinayagan yan,” he said.

He recalled that it was Ang, in collaboration with former Archbishop Oscar Cruz who put him in a bad light during the last congressional hearings on illegal gambling.
Reports said that Ang met with some mayors at the Consuelo’s restaurant in Lingayen to seek their approval. Eventually 34on April 25 to May 2 that drew tens of thousands of visitors enjoying the fun at the sprawling Capitol grounds and beachfront followed by the establishment of the P100-million Pangasinan Credit Surety Fund (PCSF), negative reports prevailed over the good news. “IIlang probinsya lang ang binigyan ng pagkakataon ng Central Bank, maganda ang financial standing ng ating probinsya,” Espino said, referring to the surety fund.

He lamented that instead of these newsworthy undertakings published in the papers, grandstanding stories on the jai alai issue which only mar the reputation of some personalities saw print instead.

He likewise defended the Pangasinan police under Sr. Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte for being dragged in the controversy. He said that Pangasinan, the most peaceful province in Region I in 2009, is now insurgency- and jueteng-free. “Pinakamalinis tayong probinsya sa jueteng sa buong Region I.”
In reaction, Bince told a radio interview that he never linked the governor to jai alai. He said, he filed his resolution to determine if the game is legal in the province considering that the operator is based in Cagayan. He said, he believed that mayor’s permit alone is not sufficient for the game to exist in a locality considering that the sangguniang panlalawigan has legislative authority over local government units.

He also pointed out that for many long years in the board, he has performed his job responsibly. “My record speaks by itself,” he said.

He added that he never wanted to put the governor in a bad light because in fact, he pointed out, he had defended him in controversial issues in the past to include the shotguns for barangays, the recent increase in real property taxes and the purchase of Ford Everest for members of the provincial board.