NAGA CITY — Thumbing down the Camarines Sur PNP Provincial Director’s official line that the resurgent jueteng is of the guerilla-type that operates in limited territories of the province, the city government of Naga has embarked on a highly employment-intensive climate that will allow the constituents to engage in legitimate and productive sources of livelihood.

The move to spur employment generation came after Mayor Jesse M. Robredo received confirmatory information on the emergence of centralized jueteng operations in the province.

He said higher opportunities on employment and livelihood projects would reduce the number of people patronizing jueteng.

In an interview with Bicol Mail, Robredo said although the city government is pursuing for more job opportunities and livelihood projects, its extensive campaign against the illegal numbers game will be handled properly with Naga City PNP on the frontline.

He said construction works on Naga City Coliseum could accommodate a good number of laborers including concreting of roads and other projects in urban poor communities.

The agenda also contained the expansion of the city’s livelihood windows to provide an earning industry for bigger number of beneficiaries that include solo parents, scavengers, sidewalk and market vendors and cooperatives.

In a joint and collective motion spearheaded by City Councilor John Bongat, the Sangguniang Panlungsod in its January 2, 2006 session declared an all-out war against gambling stating that the recurrence of jueteng has put to question the sincerity and resolve of the national government and the PNP to wage was against the illegal number game.

“We cannot afford to encourage the culture of gambling and the message is clear that in so far as the city officialdom is concerned we are determined to snuff out these menace,” said Vice Mayor and SP presiding chairman Gabriel Bordado.

Bordado called on other sectors to participate in the campaign against jueteng. He said a similar level of resistance by Peace and Order Council member-representative would be felt when the council convenes next week.

A Catholic church leader described as a welcome undertaking the plan by Mayor Robredo to drum up employment opportunities for the city’s urban poor sector. He said that illegal gambling is not the right industry in acquiring additional income since it will give them nothing but false hopes and empty promises.

Auxiliary Bishop Jose Roxas of the Archdioceses of Caceres said the church on its part would always be ready to appeal to the conscience of the people not to turn to immoral and illegal activities. He said the Church has been doing this through pastoral letters and readings during Eucharistic celebrations.

Msgr. Roxas said replicating here what Bishop Oscar Cruz is doing in Lingayen-Dagupan against jueteng operations is possible. Cruz’ open and unrestraint war against jueteng continues to gain momentum even or a rational scale.

Inside Iglesia ni Kristo, a source confirmed that the church has condemned all forms of illegal gambling. He said all members of the church are properly guided from getting involved in any way to such illegal and immoral act.

Any member found to have defied or disobeyed such teaching despite repeated warnings shall be removed from the roster of its members, the source added.

Meanwhile, in Goa, Camarines Sur, Bicol Mail sources said jueteng draws are held three times a day, a clear indication of its healthy operations despite PNP’s so-called one-strike policy.

The same sources said jueteng draws here are held inside a house in L. Pan Street towards the direction going to the adjoining municipality of Tigaon, Camarines Sur.