Vizcaya gov: Arrest jueteng bettors, too

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — In a bid to stop the proliferation of jueteng which recently resurfaced in this province, Gov. Rodolfo Agbayani has ordered the police to arrest any government employee found betting in the illegal numbers game.

In a memorandum, Agbayani directed the police and all government heads of offices to arrest, hold and bring for disposition not only cabos (chief bet collectors) and cobradores (bet collectors) but bettors as well, specifically government personnel.

Those caught face "appropriate administrative penalties aside from being charged criminally," the memo stated.

"Their arrest or apprehension while actually collecting and betting is a lawful exercise under the citizen’s arrest where there is no more need for a warrant of arrest," Agbayani, a former Regional Trial Court judge, said.

Earlier, Agbayani had asked Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. to immediately replace Senior Superintendent Jesus Manubay, provincial police director, because of the recent revival of jueteng here after more than two years of absence.

Early this week, Bayombong Bishop Ramon Villena alleged that Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. and Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales, Cagayan Valley police director, had pressured Manubay to allow the illegal numbers game to be revived.

Dy and Sales both denied Villena’s allegations, with the governor even poised to take legal action against the bishop for hurling such "unfounded, baseless and malicious" accusations.

Villena, however, said he is not afraid of a libel suit which Dy plans to file against him.

Nevertheless, he said he might seek the assistance of the Philippine National Police to ensure his safety.

"As a bishop, I have always supported many causes here for the benefit of the people," he said. He has served Nueva Vizcaya for 17 years.

"It is the duty of the local government to stop jueteng. I am going to tell Secretary Lina and (Lingayen-Dagupan) Archbishop (Oscar) Cruz that Isabela is a jueteng country," he said. Cruz heads the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng. — With Katherine Adraneda