Bong Pineda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rodolfo Quijano Pineda December 21, 1949 |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Lilia Garcia |
| Children | Dennis Pineda Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab Esmeralda Pineda |
Rodolfo "Bong" Quijano Pineda [1] (born December 21, 1949 [2] [3] ) is a Filipino businessman based in Pampanga. He is known for being the patriarch of a political family and for his influence in politics in the province.
Bong Pineda was born on December 21, 1949 to Jose Pineda. Raised on the income his father made from operations involving the Spanish card game monte, Pineda later got involved in monte himself in 1969 when he became an aide of a Pampanga congressman who was also a monte operator. He later became overseer of that politician's monte operations in Rizal, San Juan (Metro Manila), and Quezon City. [4]
Pineda has been associated with jueteng , a numbers games which is illegal in the Philippines. He allegedly struck a fortune from the game in 1986. [4] [5] [6] [7] For his alleged involvement, several arrest warrants have been issued against him since May 1990, with him being briefly arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation in April 1991. [8] By 2000, police intelligence reports cited him to head 80% of jueteng operations in Pampanga. [9] He has denied allegations of involvement in jueteng. [1] [10] [11]
In 2000, Sheila Coronel of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that the Pinedas' alleged gambling operations, tolerated by numerous police and church officials, were able to fund their regular donation drives in Lubao, which "ensures that the Pinedas have loyal and enduring grassroots support in their hometown." [12]
In 2016, Bong Pineda donated a 8 hectares (20 acres) lot where a new municipal hall complex for Lubao was constructed. [13] In 2019, Bong Pineda led the ground breaking ceremony for the Pradera Verde a development in Lubao which includes an amusement park and a motor racing track. [14] [15] He also led the construction of three Roman Catholic chapels in San Fernando. [16]
Belvedere Corp. is owned by Pineda. The company has a legal license to provide online cockfighting or e-sabong from the state-owned regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. [17] However in May 2022, the government ordered the shut-down of e-sabong nationwide with Bong Pineda's son Dennis implementing the directive in Pampanga where the younger Pineda serves as governor. [18]
Bong Pineda is the patriarch of a political family in Pampanga with the town of Lubao regarded as his hometown. While he has not held office himself, Pineda is regarded as a "kingmaker" [4] [19] [20] [21] in his family's alliance with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who's political rise was alleged to have been assisted by Pineda. [22] Both his wife Lilia Garcia and son Dennis have served as mayor of Lubao and provincial governor of Pampanga. [21] His daughters Esmeralda Pineda and Mylyn Cayabyab have also been Lubao mayor. Cayabyab has also been a provincial board member, and had attempted to run for mayor in San Fernando in 2025. [23]
Pineda has also supported the electoral bid of other politicians in Pampanga. [19] Aside from president Arroyo, he has been claimed to have helped the political careers of President Joseph Estrada and the Lapid family in Pampanga. [4] In 2004, he admitted to assisting the political campaigns of actor Lito Lapid and his son Mark Lapid in the 2004 elections. [4]
He is reputed to avoid public appearances and the media. [14] [21] [23]
According to the President, her relations with the Pinedas merely concern the official functions of Lilia Pineda...
At the same time, the government filed three criminal cases each, including bribery, against eight suspected gambling lords and three of their alleged politician-protectors[....] Charged, following an inquiry by the National Bureau of Investigation, were Rodolfo 'Bong' Pineda...