‘Jueteng won’t be legalized’

Malacañang declared yesterday it would not legalize jueteng as this would be opposed to the policy of the Arroyo administration on the illegal numbers game.

However, the Palace earlier announced it would introduce a new numbers game called "Bingo Combo" in lieu of the illegal numbers game.

"We already have enough legal gaming under the auspices of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and there is no need for more," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

Bunye stressed President Arroyo is determined to stop the illegal gambling operations "that have sucked dry the meager resources of our people and have become a counterproductive political distraction."

Though there have been attempts to legalize jueteng, these do not have the support of the President, he said.

Mrs. Arroyo reiterated her order to put an end to all jueteng operations in the country in the wake of reports of a resurgence of the illegal numbers game in the countryside.

The President had tasked Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn, the government’s anti-jueteng czar, to exhaust all efforts in ending jueteng activities nationwide by Sept. 15.

Hagedorn, for his part, said his mandate is to put a stop to jueteng operations.

He clarified the mandate of the task force is clear, indicating that it was not their business to meddle in other forms of gambling, even if illegal.

Hagedorn explained the Anti-Jueteng Task Force had absolutely nothing to do with the legalized gambling being operated by Pagcor and PCSO.

"That is their business, ours is to stop jueteng," Hagedorn pointed out.

Hagedorn also denounced allegations that the government’s anti-jueteng drive "was just a smokescreen for other numbers games that will be used to replace jueteng," apparently referring to the EZ-2 Ball and Bingo Combo games.

Hagedorn said there is an urgent need to "once and for all dispel" what he described as "unjust, misinformed and totally baseless allegations that the anti-jueteng campaign ordered by President Arroyo is a smokescreen to introduce jueteng in another form by resorting to a ‘same dog, new collar’ trick."

Principal jueteng whistle-blower Archbishop Oscar Cruz had claimed the government, through Pagcor and PCSO, was bent on legalizing jueteng through the introduction of Bingo Combo.

Cruz said he had secured copies of the "procedural guidelines" from Bingo Combo betting station operators.

He said Bingo Combo will be launched on Sept. 15, the deadline set by the President to end all jueteng operations nationwide.

According to Cruz, the operators’ guidelines have already laid out the groundwork for the operation of Bingo Combo.

Principal jueteng witness Wilfredo "Boy" Mayor claimed that as early as last year, illegal gambling operators in Bicol and Northern Luzon were being convinced to stop their illicit operations and shift to Bingo Combo.

Mayor explained that Bingo Combo would be played just like an ordinary bingo game using 38 bingo cards.

He said the winning number combination would only be determined by the first two winning bingo cards.

Bettors would place their P10 bets on the winning card combinations at betting stations, according to Mayor.

He said the procedure would be similar to betting at lottery stations.

Bettors can then watch the bingo game televised live, he said.

Mayor disclosed top jueteng operators met in a hotel in Pasay City yesterday to discuss the shift to Bingo Combo. He stressed the meeting was proof that plans were afoot to implement the new numbers game.

Mayor said the "procedural guidelines for Bingo Combo betting station operators" show how betting station operators could implement Pagcor’s marketing programs to promote and advertise Bingo Combo betting services.

Betting station operators shall be entitled to a commission equivalent to seven percent of gross bets placed at the station, Mayor said.

He said the jueteng operators are being convinced to shift to Bingo Combo since it will be acceptable to the Church.

"Even the Church sponsors bingo games," Mayor said.

Cruz earlier said Bingo Combo would most benefit the local government officials who would retain 80 percent of the betting proceeds from Pagcor.

According to Mayor, the 80 percent that would go to the local chief executives would still be split up between police officials and operators.

Asked why there would still be a need to give the local police a share if the game were legal, Mayor pointed out illegal bookie operations would sprout up to take bets lower than P10.

"It is the same dog with a different collar. It is disheartening that this government will be stopping jueteng but will be changing it to another game with the same philosophy as jueteng," he said.

Law enforcement agencies, on the other hand, said they will remain on the sidelines of Bingo Combo operations.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao said the police organization "will keep silent" if Bingo Combo comes into play.

Lomibao said the PNP will follow the policy of the government in its crackdown against all forms of illegal gambling.

Opposition lawmaker Sen. Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, claimed the plan to launch Bingo Combo came as a result of a compromise with jueteng operators.

He said the new numbers game was also born out of a compromise with corrupt local officials and policemen who benefit from jueteng operations.

Lacson criticized Mrs. Arroyo anew for introducing Bingo Combo in an apparent attempt to replace jueteng.

"It is not the policy of the State to bring gambling to every family or at every doorstep on a daily basis," he said.

Lacson called on Mrs. Arroyo to order Pagcor not to push through with Bingo Combo, which he said bears a strong semblance to the Bingo 2 Ball scheme devised during the Estrada administration in its attempt to replace jueteng in the countryside. — With Mike Frialde, Christina Mendez, Ric Sapnu