Third district Rep. Aurelio Umali told The STAR that most of the displaced jueteng personnel were unable to send their children to school due to the lack of an alternative source of income.
Jueteng used to be drawn thrice daily in almost all the five cities and 27 municipalities of Nueva Ecija, the biggest province in Central Luzon.
Umali said those displaced have been asking him for jobs and other alternative means of livelihood so they could start a new life without jueteng.
In Pampanga, Evelyn Manalo, information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Central Luzon office, said a growing number of former cobradores have signed up for a P5,000 livelihood loan from her agency.
Manalo cited reports that 96 displaced cobradores have signed up in Sta. Ana town, 965 in Mexico, and 400 in San Luis.
In Mabalacat alone, Mayor Marino Morales said at least 1,000 former jueteng workers have surfaced to apply for the livelihood loans.
Umali, who is on his second term, said jueteng does not only have political and economic but also socio-cultural dimensions, thus its stoppage has affected a large segment of society.
However, Umali said it would still be very difficult for the government to eradicate it because it is deeply rooted.
"It has been there for centuries. There were no casinos yet and it already existed. It’s part of the culture already," he said.
He warned that local politicians who openly go against jueteng are virtually committing political suicide because they stand to earn the ire of their constituents.
"That’s the political reality; if you are against jueteng, the people will get mad at you," he said.
Umali said he has nothing against legalizing jueteng, but he is neither advocating it.
"What we just need to look into is the alternative livelihood aspect to make those who used to be dependent on it to survive," he said.
Regarding the ongoing congressional hearings which have implicated even the First Family in jueteng payoffs, Umali said the issue should be addressed in the proper forum which is the court and not in the House nor the Senate. — With Ding Cervantes