Solons: Fight vs jueteng ‘lonely’

DAGUPAN CITY — Two congressmen who succeeded in stopping jueteng in their turfs admitted that the fight against this illegal numbers game is "a lonely one and is a road less traveled by fellow public officials."

Rep. Manny Mamba of the third district of Cagayan and Rep. Willy Villarama of the second district of Bulacan told participants to the recently concluded Krusadang Bayan-Jueteng Free Philippines seminar workshop held in a hotel here that they earned more enemies because of their crusade.

"Kagalit ko mga mayors ko (My mayors were mad at me)," Mamba said. He admitted he also operated jueteng for two years during former President Cory Aquino’s time. I "voluntarily stopped it because I can’t in conscience earn without having any capital" he added.

"We name names (of the operators and protectors). They stopped because they were embarrassed," he told anti-jueteng advocates who attended the forum sponsored by the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese headed by Msgr. Oscar Cruz.

Meanwhile, Villarama narrated an experience in Baliwag town wherein a defeated mayoralty candidate was able to buy his victory through a court decision using his jueteng connection.

"It dawned upon me that in a conflict between an elected public official and a jueteng lord, the latter, prevails," he said.

Msgr. Gerry Bitoon of St. Peter’s College Seminary in San Pablo City said they also came up with cathechism, similar to the one made by Cruz, against gambling in their fight against jueteng. It’s agenda is values education, formational social advocacy, creation of alternative livelihood opportunities and prayer power.

Mayor Rolly Destura of Dumangas, Iloilo said he eradicated jueteng because the people supported him. He studied carefully the community, law enforcers, justice system as he wondered why, whenever a cobrador or cabo was arrested, they easily got bailed out and regard their freedom.

He invited discreetly those involved in jueteng and provided them with alternative livelihood like a carinderia, swine dispersal, capital for vending, among others.

He slowly erased the public misconception that jueteng is a big help to them financially because he said it’s the people’s tenacity and industry that helped. — Eva de Leon