Jueteng jai-alai

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

Let us see if jueteng operations would cease in northern Luzon or other parts of the country now that the government is purportedly set to crack down on jai-alai betting operations being run by Charlie “Atong” Ang’s Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. outside the Cagayan Freeport.

You see, jueteng bet collectors, locally called kubradors, like those in Baguio and Benguet collect wagers on the pretext that what they are collecting is not jueteng bet money but jai alai.
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Atong Ang and a certain Luding have been touted as those behind the proliferation of the illegal numbers game in these areas and their alleged protectors are also enjoying the spoils considering that draws are now held four times a day.

Police reason they can’t arrest these kubradors because they are collecting bet money for jail alai. If that is their reason for not doing their jobs, then they should heed the circular issued Wednesday by the Department of Justice and Department of the Interior and Local Government instructing law enforcers, local government units and public prosecutors to “immediately eliminate illegal jai-alai off-fronton betting operations all over the country.”
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Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said jai-alai operations outside the jurisdiction of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is prohibited by Republic Act 954, a 1953 law which she said, has not been repealed by any later law.

She said this means the license of MVGC from CEZA, which includes the provision “as may be allowed by law,” does not give it the authority to put up gaming stations outside the freeport.

“We have received verified information about jai-alai operations of Meridien in other provinces outside Cagayan. They should be arrested and charged,” she said.

Meridien’s permit only covers operations in Cagayan, but it has supposedly extended its operations to Pangasinan, Baguio, Benguet Isabela, Oriental Mindoro and some areas in Metro Manila.

De Lima said certain officials of Pangasinan also reported to the DOJ that MVGC’s operations serve as front for jueteng.
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The MVGC contested the position of the DOJ but whether Meridien’s position holds water, it is a fact that there is jueteng in Baguio, Benguet and other parts of northern Luzon as evidenced by betting of number combinations from 1 to 37.

It is high time the Philippine National Police crack the whip and discipline erring police officers and men under its “one-strike policy.” The policy states that any police chief where jueteng could be found in his area of jurisdiction should be immediately relieved from his command.
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Despite proliferation of this illegal numbers game, we have never heard of a police chief in this Banana Republic relieved by the Camp Crame PNP lords for allowing jueteng operations under his turf. So to this administration’s leadership, particularly to P-Noy: How sincere are you in curbing this menace? Naibbung sa metten ti Pinoy.

Anyway, we would like to cite the leadership of the Abra PNP under provincial police director Senior Supt. Amando S. Lagiwid for his anti-jueteng drive. Latest to be arrested in the province was a beautician in the capital town of Abra. She was nabbed for collecting jueteng bets July 5 at about 12:30 p.m.
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The beautician was identified Fatima M. Bondame, 39, of Albay, Bicol and resident of Capitulacion St., Calaba, Bangued. Joint operatives of the Provincial Public Safety Company, Abra Police Provincial Office and Provincial Investigation Branch led by Chief Insp. Salvador A. Claro arrested Bondame. Confiscated from her were jueteng paraphernalia and P274 in bet money.

Anyhow, if the government cannot stop jueteng, it is a slap on the face of P-Noy and a dent on his credibility and sincerity in reforming the government of corruption. You see, then Philippine National Police chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson stopped jueteng during his time.

He proved he could discipline the PNP. Can PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo do the same, or is he just playing moro-moro like other top officials of this blighted republic?