Cruz on jueteng halt: We hope it’s for keeps

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — "We hope it’s for keeps..."

With these words, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz commended the police for halting jueteng operations in the province days after a survey showed that the illegal numbers game had resurfaced.

"I’m glad it stopped. You see it’s easy to stop it if there’s really a will. It’s the easiest thing to eradicate," said Cruz, national chairman of the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (Jueteng-Free Philippines). Krusada now has 72 chapters nationwide.

Cruz earlier disclosed findings of a new survey that jueteng had reared its ugly head again in many barangays in the archdiocese’s jurisdiction.

Even if jueteng had stopped only in the past several days, Cruz commended Senior Superintendent Mario Sandiego, provincial police director, for working on it.

"We hope it’s for keeps with or without Ebdane," he said.

Cruz was referring to the Dec. 15 directive of Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Philippine National Police chief, for a renewed campaign against the illegal numbers game.

Immediately after Ebdane issued the order, Chief Superintendent Claudio Cabreros, Region 1 (Ilocos) police director, instructed all police chiefs under his command to conduct honest-to-goodness raids on jueteng joints, especially in this province.

"Don’t stop until they stop," Cabreros told Sandiego when he came to Malasiqui town last Tuesday.

Since Monday, police have conducted 32 raids, resulting in the arrest of 103 jueteng personnel in four cities — Dagupan, Urdaneta, Alaminos and San Carlos — and 20 towns — Tayug, Binmaley, Mapandan, Infanta, Agno, Mangatarem, San Quintin, Villasis, Sto. Tomas, Mangaldan, Basista, Bayambang, Rosales, Natividad, Sta. Maria, San Nicolas, San Fabian, Bolinao, Calasiao and Asingan.

The suspects yielded P23,784.50 in cash bets. Thirty-two cases have been filed against them in court.

Local mayors are piqued that Pangasinan was singled out in the anti-jueteng campaign.

"Why is it that when we speak of jueteng, it’s always Pangasinan that is being focused on?" some mayors in central Pangasinan asked.

Sandiego said the renewed crackdown might result in "guerrilla-type" jueteng operations in barangays.

Going after these "guerrilla" operators, he said, will be too time-consuming for law enforcers who, he said, should also look after other problems related to the May 2004 elections. — Eva Visperas