2 lawmakers eye ban of small town lottery operations

MANILA, Philippines - Two legislators have filed a bill in Congress,  prohibiting all small town lottery operations nationwide.

Under House Bill 4058, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao partylist Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr.  want to end the practice by many legitimate STL operators of using their STL franchises to operate jueteng or the illegal numbers game.

The Cagayan de Oro congressman said many legitimate STL operators are using their STL franchises to operate jueteng because it generates more income.

As a result, Rodriguez said, the police forces and other government agencies tasked to eradicate jueteng are having a hard time distinguishing, which operation is legal and which is not.

"It would be more prudent if STL is prohibited as it gives jueteng operators a legal front to cover up their illegal activities," he said.

In filing the bill, Rodriguez quoted Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, a staunch anti-jueteng advocate, who said, "STL is used as a cover-up for jueteng."

Under the bill, all STL operations, however named or called, and other variants, shall be prohibited and declared illegal.

Consequently, all contracts and franchises currently entered into by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes  with STL operators shall be rescinded.

STL was introduced in 2005 during the time of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to stamp out jueteng.