Criminal charges were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) on Tuesday, Feb. 13, against Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Alexandre B. Lagman over his alleged receipts of “jueteng” money from 2019 to 2020 when he was vice governor of the province.
The charges were filed by Alwin M. Nimo who claimed he was the bagman of Lagman for the “jueteng” (illegal numbers game) “payola” (bribe money).
Nimo asked the OMB to charge Lagman with direct or indirect bribery under Articles 210 and 211 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC); violations of Section 7(d) of Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees; Section 3(g), in relation to Section 2(k) and Section 5 of R.A. No. 9287, An Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Numbers Games; and Sections 3(b), (c), (e), (f), and (h) of RA No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
(Manila Bulletin failed to contact Governor Lagman for his comment. Should the OMB ask him to comment on the complaint and the comment is filed officially, Manila Bulletin will also publish his side.)
Nimo, who was a former barangay (village) chairman, claimed that as Lagman’s bagman for “jueteng” operations he used to get in touch with the late Jojo Bernardo of Bulacan so he can ask for "payola" or "inteligencia" for Lagman who was then vice governor.
He alleged that the “payola” was intended to silent Lagman over the “jueteng” operations in Albay. He also alleged that he delivered personally P60,000 weekly to Lagman from August to November 2019.
He claimed that after Bernardo died and a certain “James” took over, Lagman’s “jueteng payola” continued.
Later, Nimo claimed he told Lagman their meetings should be lessened because the former was getting known for his ties to “jueteng” and did not want Lagman to be involved.
He said two other persons took over his job of delivering “jueteng payola” to Lagman from November 2019 to October 2020.
He claimed when Lagman took over the gubernatorial post in 2022, “Lagman Lagman was going around and bad-mouthing me, claiming that I could not be trusted, and that I did not deliver to him the protection money intended for him from the ‘jueteng’ operations in Albay during the time that he was the vice governor of the province."
"Because of the lies he was spreading, respondent Lagman was endangering my life and those of my family members because we are being exposed to possible retaliation from the ‘jueteng’ financier or ‘bangkero’ and operators, who may be convinced of the claim of respondent Lagman that I did not deliver to him and I pocketed the protection money intended by the ‘jueteng’ operators for him as vice governor," Nimo also said in his complaint.
He said his repeated attempts to get in touch with Lagman failed and the "bogus claim" made against him continued.
Nimo said that the imminent danger to his life, which was created by Lagman, prompted him to come out and testify as a whistleblower and co-conspirator as Lagman.
"I am applying for admission as a state witness so I can be granted immunity, security, and other benefits, so I can freely and openly testify against respondent Lagman, to hold him accountable for the crimes and/or offenses he committed while serving as vice governor of the province of Albay," Nimo said in his complaint.
He is hoping that the Ombudsman would order the preventive suspension of Lagman in order to protect the witnesses and to safeguard the evidence.