> Stop
jueteng
During the presscon of the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng
on January 21, 2006 at Villa Caceres Coffee Shop, Bishop Oscar V.
Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan Diocese disclosed to the local media that
the illegal gambling known as jueteng has once again
resurrected and is expected to rake no less than 13 Billion pesos
annually in the Philippines! Bishop Cruz firmly believes that
jueteng will not thrive in the country today unless President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) allows it to. According to him,
PGMA has enough powers and authority to eradicate jueteng
and all forms of illegal gambling if she really and sincerely
wants to. She has at her disposal the entire government machinery
that includes the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of
Interior & Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ),
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP). Unless Malacañang has conceded that PGMA
has now become a lame duck president and she can’t lift a finger
to implement R.A. No. 9287 or the Anti-Gambling Act enacted in
2004.
Bishop Cruz also revealed that at present, there are 16 gambling
lords in the Philippines that are so powerful that the Arroyo
government won’t dare cross swords with. Bishop Cruz said that
many politicians, police officials, prosecutors and judges,
mediamen, and law enforcers are beholden to, and are being
corrupted with huge amounts of payolas or bribe money
received from these gambling syndicates. Whereas the
socio-political system of Colombia and other Latin American
countries are dominated by drug cartels through “narco-politics”,
the Philippines political system is slowly being tainted and
swayed by “gambling politics”.
Bishop Cruz disclosed further that the operation of jueteng
has made a tremendous leap of 300% under the Arroyo administration
from the time of the ousted President Erap. (Ironically, Erap’s
downfall was triggered by accusations of jueteng payolas
reaching the very doorsteps of Malacañang) The upsurge in illegal
gambling activities are expected to expand and increase further
with the introduction of new and innovative forms like ‘Letreng”
which use letters instead of numbers. It was also revealed that
the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) will soon start and will
be intensified by enjoining local government units as
unwitting (no pun intended) partners.
In his book “Gambling in the Republic” Bishop Cruz
wrote, “Jueteng is a game of chance in form of an illegal numbers
game whereas it is fundamentally playing with numbers that is
prohibited by law. There is a regular set of 37 numbers which can
be combined in so many different ways as “dreamt”, “interpreted”,
“felt” or in any similar way chosen by the bettor such as through
simple “kursonada”. He or she then places money on his/her chosen
numbers. The amount won depends on the amount of bet made.
“What is basically wrong with jueteng? There are very disturbing
facts about it. One: It is mostly the poor people whose precisely
little money are gambled away. Two: There are but very few so
called “winners” compared to the thousands of bettors. Three: Only
about 15% of every peso is given as prizes, with the big 85%
remaining portion mostly destined for the pockets of the jueteng
operators and their protectors among local public officials and
police authorities. Four: The numbers that win are drawn with
deceit- if not determined simply through mental choice of the
operators, depending which numbers have the least bets placed
thereon. Five: The criminal syndication of this supposedly “lowly”
game of the poor and simple “tao”(folks) is now in the hands of
hierarchically organized operators who wield considerable
influence precisely on officials tasked to go against them as
agents of illegal gambling.”
***
The launching of the “Pagkasararo Contra sa Jueteng” (Unity
Against Jueteng) in Naga City last weekend is therefore worth
commending. It deserves the full support of every sensible,
patriotic, and peace-loving citizen and civic-minded groups. The
boldness and “going against the tide” so to speak of City
officials like mayor Jess Robredo and vice mayor Gabby Bordado
resemble the “wind beneath the wings” or the second wind to the
noble but waning crusade against jueteng by Bishop Cruz.
The anti-jueteng forum on January 21, 2006 at Villa Caceres
Hotel was graced by Bishop Cruz as the guest speaker, and aimed to
marshal a multi-sectoral response against the resurgence and
proliferation of jueteng in Camarines Sur. The occasion was
attended in full force by the Catholic Church prelature headed by
Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi, Auxiliary Bishop Jose Rojas, and
Msgr. Nono Sañado, together with almost all parish priests of
Camarines Sur. Also in full attendance were the members of the
local tri-media, non-government organizations, civic clubs,
barangay officials, and representatives of the business sector,
and professional groups.
PNP Chief Arturo Lomibao sent a letter of regret for not being
able to attend due to prior commitment but instructed PNP
Provincial Director Romeo Mapalo, and all chiefs of police of
Camarines Sur to attend the said forum.
What is conspicuous and ironic however, is the non-appearance and
lukewarm support shown by most local government heads and
municipal officials especially of those municipalities where
jueteng is said to have proliferate. For the record, mayor Sabas
Mabulo of San Fernando was visibly around, while the mayors of
Lagonoy and Iriga City sent their representatives to speak on
their behalf their respective statements of support.
Mayor Mabulo said that he has condemned and put a stop to
jueteng operation in his town due to its inherent evil effects
especially among his poor constituents. He said, jueteng
siphoned the much-needed money from the local economy which could
have provided the impetus if diverted to productive economic
activities. He also lamented that jueteng persistently destroys
and corrupts the core values of the Filipinos. He said he
continually encourages the people to rely on their industry and
perseverance rather than on the easy life and quick returns
dangled by gambling operators. In fact, the good mayor has coined
a motto for his townmates: “HuwagUumasa sa Swerte ng Taya;
Mag-asa sa Sipag at Tiyaga.” (Don’t entrust your future on
bets; Rely on hard work and perseverance.)
Let the people know and unmask the pretentiousness of their
leaders! Let the respective constituents of these political
leaders take note of their stance on jueteng, and remember
it when said politicians ask for a renewed mandate in the
forthcoming elections!
In his closing remarks, Bishop Rojas explained that the Catholic
Church would not and could not remain silent and nonchalant on
jueteng. He reiterated that illegal gambling like jueteng
is not only a legal or political concern, but also a moral issue.
He said, the government can legalize it and come up with numerous
schemes to “legalize” it, but it can never make gambling morally
right.
According to Bishop Rojas, jueteng is morally wrong
because:
1. It disregards the very principle of Christian stewardship;
2. It involves a game of chance, and one wins at the expense of
others;
3. It is inconsistent with the work ethics prescribed by the Holy
Scriptures;
4. It is habit-forming and leads to addiction; it degrades and
violates human dignity and freedom;
5. It involves cheating.
And if we may add, jueteng corrupts the people and destroys
the moral fiber of our society. The corruption of the public
officials for their silence and of police authorities for their
protection. It also promotes the mentality of chance and the
posture of dependence, and substitutes industry with the vice of
indolence.
QUOTES
“You are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”
- Eldridge Cleaver
“The only living society is that which is animated by
inequality and injustice.” - Paul Claudel
