De Castro: Only gambling lords win in jueteng

Gambling lords and their protectors are the only winners in the operation of jueteng in the country.

Vice President Noli de Castro said this yesterday as he called on all local government units (LGUs) to intensify their campaign against illegal gambling.

He warned the public that the results of jueteng draws are generally rigged and that "it is not right to think that it is the people who are benefiting from jueteng. The truth is it is the gambling lords (who) are winning in the continuous operation of jueteng in the country... they are the ones getting richer."

He also asked the public not to be deceived by occasional winnings and stated his continued strong opposition to the proposed legalization of jueteng, adding that it is "better (to) put your money to better use than be fooled by false hopes."

Meanwhile, the clergy and a group of young lawyers have called on President Arroyo to act immediately to eliminate illegal gambling.

Dagupan-Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz said only the President can do something to put a stop to the illegal numbers game, which reportedly continues to flourish with the tacit consent of some local government officials and police personnel in exchange for payola.

Lawyer Giovanni Mata, president of the Association of Young Lawyers for Justice and Order, shared Cruz’s views, saying "there was no deterrent. Everybody is free because the illegal gambling operators are feared."

He also said former senator Robert Barbers, during his tenure as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), succeeded to some degree in pushing illegal gambling operators.

"We believe the former senator stood against jueteng," Cruz said. "It is a pity he is no longer in the government."

De Castro also strongly opposed the proposal to legalize jueteng during his tenure as senator. He said legalizing jueteng would only encourage the "get rich quick" mentality among the people instead of encouraging them to work hard to achieve a better life.

It is the responsibility of local government executives, from governors to mayors down to the barangay captains, to intensify the government’s efforts against jueteng, he added: "I firmly believe that, more than anyone else, it is the LGU (officials) who know best what goes on in their areas of jurisdiction and that local leaders, including the police, who are ignorant (about) what happens in their locality do not deserve the public trust."

"The law should be applied to all and no one should be considered sacred cow in the government’s campaign against jueteng whatever positions they have in government" he said.

De Castro lauded Cruz, leader of the "Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng," for his unrelenting efforts to bring the matter of widespread jueteng operations to the government’s attention.

He also expressed optimism that the ongoing Senate investigation into jueteng operations will be fruitful and pave the way for substantial gains in the government’s drive against illegal gambling despite the pessimism caused by several congressional anti-gambling investigations from 1996 to 1997 initiated by the House, which did not result in any arrests or convictions of suspected jueteng lords.