'One strike' PNP policy in jueteng drive nets results

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija – Strike one, you’re out is now the rule used by the top provincial police official here in disciplining his field commanders in connection with the drive against jueteng.

For having allowed the illegal numbers game to operate in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, police chief Senior Insp. Jose A. Ocampo was relieved from his post.

An investigation is also under way to determine if there is criminal or administratively culpability.

The sacking of Ocampo came after a raid was conducted on jueteng office in Pantabangay afternoon of Sept. 5.

Eleven persons were arrested allegedly while conducting the raffle to determine the winning numbers.

Acting provincial police director Senior Supt. Agripino G. Javier initially stood firm on his resolve to stop jueteng in the province and other illegal forms of gambling.

Also in “hot water” are the police chiefs of Rizal and Bongabon towns, Senior Inspectors Samuel M. Avila and Danilo M. Zulueta, respectively.

Javier said it is difficult to imagine that these police officers, steeped in the rules of engagement, did not know that jueteng operations were being held in their jurisdiction.

It was the provincial special reaction team, led by Chief Insp. Arnolo Palomo, that conducted the raid.

Javier suspected that the group operating in Pantabangan is the same group operating in Bongabon and Rizal, saying, “palipat-lipat lang sila.”

It was also learned that while the whole province knows what’s going on in the illegal numbers game, the policemen are always the last to know. “Or they don’t want to know,” one barangay official said.

Javier noted previous arrests made by his men at the first few days of his assignment here, belying claims of provincial officials that he allowed jueteng to proliferate after the operation of the government-backed Small Town Lottery stopped last July 18.