GMA’s pet project can end jueteng in Central Luzon — Berroya

CABANATUAN CITY – President Arroyo’s Project Oyster could finally signal the end of jueteng operations in Pampanga and the entire Central Luzon region, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Chief Supt. Reynaldo Berroya, PNP Region 3 director, told newsmen here on Thursday that Project Oyster, which stands for Out-of-School Youth Serving towards Economic Recovery, could provide the economic alternative to thousands of jueteng cabos and kubradors in Mrs. Arroyo’s home region.

"This could be the avenue to once and for all obliterate jueteng in Central Luzon," Berroya said.

Earlier, Interior Secretary Joey Lina launched another campaign against illegal gambling, particularly jueteng and identified Pampanga as one of the so-called priority areas.

Berroya, who was here to assist the President in launching Project Oyster at the National Food Authority (NFA) Region 3 Office, explained that the project is a police-oriented emergency assistance and development project of the President and his office which seeks to empower its beneficiaries in Central Luzon through skills training, sports development and moral renewal projects.

Berroya said the main beneficiaries of this project are members of the organized Pag-asa Youth Association (PYA) aged 15 to 24, most of whom roam the streets and are thus vulnerable to engage in illegal activities, including jueteng.

He said the project will benefit 560,000 out-of-school youths in the region.

The PNP has tapped as co-partner the city government of Cabanatuan in launching the project here.

Berroya said the PNP has been very successful in its campaign against jueteng in Central Luzon with the filing of charges in court against nine big-time jueteng lords, led by a certain Melchor Caliuag alias Ngongo, and the arrest of 6,000 cabos and kubradors.

When asked how long he expects to wipe out jueteng in the region, Berroya said there is no specific timetable. But he said jueteng operations have considerably waned, noting that before it was a highly organized criminal activity.

"In fact, during the time of (Sen.) Ping Lacson (as PNP chief), jueteng lords were so powerful that they were ones who decide who should become the provincial director of the PNP in a certain place," he said.

"During Erap’s time, jueteng operations were organized up to the highest level and jueteng lords were even asking for conferences. Now, we have none of that."

He also denied that suspected jueteng lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda still operates in the region and denied knowledge of his base of operations. "I really do not know where he is operating now. I cannot speak for the other regions," he said. – Manny Galvez