IN THE KNOW: GOVT'S ANTI-JUETENG DRIVE / SANS KICKBACKS
'JUETENG' THRIVES
[PHOTO -Department of Interior and Local Government
Secretary Jesse M. Robredo. INQUIRER FILE
PHOTO]
MANILA, JUNE 19, 2012 (INQUIRER)
At least seven chiefs of police had been sacked in the past two
months as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) carried out
its policy against police officials who failed to curb "jueteng," an illegal
numbers racket, in their areas.
In March, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the relief of the chiefs
of police of three towns in Camarines Sur. Sacked were Chief Inspector Benjamin
Espana of Calabanga town, Chief Inspector Ely Compuesto Jr. of Pili and Senior
Inspector Victor E. Azuela of Bato.
They were removed from their posts after members of the DILG's Office of
Internal Security launched simultaneous raids in the three towns on March 23 and
arrested 51 people employed by Evenchance Gaming Corp.
The DILG cited reports claiming Evenchance was owned by alleged gambling lord
Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda of Pampanga. Evenchance reportedly had a franchise from
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to operate small town lottery
(STL) in Camarines Sur and Sorsogon.
Those arrested carried STL identification papers as cover for their jueteng
operations, according to Robredo.
The head of the Muntinlupa City police, Senior Superintendent Ramiro Bausa,
was sacked in April after the National Bureau of Investigation raided a
Muntinlupa house where jueteng draws were allegedly being held regularly, and
arrested 16 people.
Earlier this month, the police chiefs of three municipalities in Negros
Oriental were ordered relieved for failing to stop the proliferation of the
illegal numbers game Swertres. They were Chief Inspector Dominicias Distrito of
Tanjay City, Inspector Romulos Delfin of Dauin, and Inspector Deogracias Lorico
of Valencia.
Swertres is a game whose winning combination is derived from the thrice-a-day
draws of the three-digit lottery games run by the PCSO. Inquirer Research
Without kickbacks, 'jueteng' thrives By Gil C.
Cabacungan Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:53 am | Monday, June 18th, 2012
A Visayas lawmaker has an explanation for why "jueteng," "masiao" and
other illegal numbers rackets are still flourishing in some parts of the
country.
This is because the traditional sources of "booty" for local government
officials and other politicians—such as those hefty kickbacks from road
projects—are drying up under President Bengno Aquino's "daang matuwid (righteous
path)" program, Negros Occidental Representative Alberto "Albee" Benitez said
Sunday.
"The President's relentless anticorruption efforts have been so broad and so
relentless that some local government officials are resorting to other means to
maintain their 'livelihood' under this administration," Benitez told the
Philippine Daily Inquirer.
"Since they can't get their money from pork barrel projects anymore, such as
from the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and the Road Board, they
encourage jueteng to keep their lifestyle."
Cash cows gone
Benitez said the reforms implemented by Public Works Secretary Rogelio
Singson had drastically cut kickbacks from public works projects.
He said road projects used to provide congressmen "with their gravy from pork
barrel projects."
"But when Secretary Singson pegged the maximum cost of building roads at
roughly P8 million per kilometer, they lost their cash cows. If their
contractors could not do it for that amount or less, Secretary Singson has
state-sanctioned contractors that can do the work," Benitez said, explaining why
road projects had lost their allure under the Aquino administration.
"This is the reason jueteng and masiao are flourishing because these people
have to sustain their lifestyle with another income," he said.
Benitez is believed to be the second-richest member of the House of
Representatives after Sarangani representative and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Jueteng can be stopped
Cavite Representative Joseph E.A. Abaya said the DPWH's reforms had borne
fruit in the first two years of the Aquino administration but he could not say
whether the rise in jueteng could be directly linked to zero graft from the pork
barrel.
"I personally feel jueteng should be stopped and can be stopped. My father,
former [Representative] Del Abaya, a former PC (Philippine Constabulary)
officer, is adamant it can be stopped because they were able to do it while [he
was] in the service," Abaya said.
Palawan Representative Antonio Alvarez said: "If President Aquino's efforts
to curb corruption are affecting the lifestyles of some influential people, then
the option for them is to cease and desist or change careers."
Alliance of Concerned Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio disagreed that
pork barrel commissions from public works projects had dried up.
"These new reforms and restrictions may still be subverted by complicitous
politicians,
DPWH personnel and contractors. Hence, pork is still a principal source of
kickbacks. The push to drive up jueteng profits is more likely due to the rising
costs of running for political office," Tinio said.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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