BULL’S HIT

Jueteng draws right under noses of police
Rudy Garcia

I was about to take may break from a heavy workout at the gym when my cell phone rang. It was one of my SARs (secret agent reporters) who was on the other line. He called my attention on his latest report of an on-going jueteng draw somewhere near the intersection of Trancoville and Magsaysay Ave., second floor of Midland bar and Videoke.

The place is just a few steps away from BCPO Station 2 Office and I wondered why illegal jueteng draws can exist right under the noses of the police.

This should be explained by no other than their station commander Major Gallingan and if my guess is right, the good officer is choosing to close and shut his mouth, eyes and ears because he is just following orders from his superiors. Am I right Chief Supt. Raul Gonzales, regional police director and Supt. Moises Guevarra, city police chief?

I think it is more appropriate to ask for the resignation of the two mentioned police officials than the voluntary resignation of Gallingan because of command responsibility.

If the top honchos of the Philippine National Police are serious enough to in enforcing their one strike policy, I don’t see any reason why Gonzales and Guevarra shouldn’t booted out for failing to stop the proliferation of jueteng under their turf, unless the PNP top brass are only good in papogi or pakitang gilas lamang.

The responsibility of curbing down this illegal numbers game like the one my bubwit mentioned at Trancoville and any similar forms of illegal gambling activities doesn’t lie alone with the police but the barangay and local government officials as well.

Just like a father to a family, the municipal or city mayor has all the power and authority to put a stop or allow any illegal activity under his jurisdiction. He has the strongest capacity to say if this is allowed or not and nobody, not even the PNP regional director can decide the fate of jueteng in his jurisdiction, but the city mayor himself.

I believe that a good city mayor would give importance to social responsibility and governance, decency and morality but sad to say, it seems this is not the case in Baguio City. Mayor Peter Rey Bautista, I earlier perceived to be a young blood with a streak of idealism, but now, I really cannot understand why he continues to be blind to the blatant operation of the illegal gambling jueteng.

Stop being blind Mr. Mayor. You don’t need those greedy trapos surrounding you to make a good name for yourself. Declare all out war against jueteng, not tomorrow, not next week or next month or next year but now. Say no to jueteng! We are waiting Mr. Mayor!