JAKARTA (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The illegal lottery scandal in the Philippines is turning into a tsunami for President Joseph Estrada. He has been bombarded by a group of Muslim professionals in Manila asking him to dissolve the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation.
They told Estrada “no self-respecting Muslim scholar will ever agree to study abroad on illegal ‘haram’ money.”
Musmira Gutoc, one of the spokesperson of the Young Muslim Professionals in the city, said that gambling is forbidden in Islam.
“We propose to disband the foundation. The whole Muslim youth as a sector has been used for evil intents and purposes,” Gutoc said to the Philippines media.
She noted that the foundation, led by Raul de Guzman, the President’s brother-in-law, does not even have a Muslim as a member of the board.
“We are not even represented there. So, whom will they take in as scholars - children of politicians?’’ she said.
Thus, efforts to help Muslims through a foundation funded by illegal money are a sham, she said.
“It is just a political imaging to prop up the Estrada government which has done Muslims the most damage through its total war policy against Muslims,” she said.
Estrada on Saturday said he was the only president of the Philippines who has handled the Muslim uprising in the Southern Philippines with military successes. He said his all out war was implemented to save the country from splitting apart.
Muslims in Manila have strongly rejected Estrada’s setting up of the foundation, calling it the “foundation of shame.” Several Muslim leaders state that Estrada wanted to gain the support of Muslims while he was sinking in his own political destruction.
Most of the Muslim youth now support the impeachment of the President. They say that his attempt to court the Muslims through the foundation was adding insult to injury.
The foundation came under attack after it was reported that it was the recipient of $4 million in “illegal money” that Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson gave to the President from “jueteng” collections.
“Jeuteng” is a number game played illegally in the Philippines and is said to turn over more than a billion Filipino pesos at any time. Estrada closed his eyes on illegal gambling during his first two years in office.
He recently declared the number game illegal and ordered the closures of all establishments “unofficially” harboring these games.
In Manila, Muslim professionals called on other Muslims now working for the Estrada administration to stop giving it legitimacy.
They particularly cited Maguindanao Representative Didagen Dilangalen and Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) chief Acmad Tumawis.
Muslims in Maguindanao and the Moro’s of the Bangsamoro movement have stated that Muslims supporting Estrada were doing a shameful act. “They are a disgrace to us who have been victimized by the continuing militarization of Mindanao,” Gutoc said.
