Crimes vs property up in CL after jueteng drive

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Chief Superintendent Alejandro Lapinid, Central Luzon police director, said majority of local folk displaced by the crackdown on jueteng six months ago have remained jobless.

This situation, according to Lapinid, has apparently pushed crimes against property to rise by as much as 50 percent in the region.

He said majority of children of former jueteng workers have remained out of school since the crackdown, which affected about 100,000 folk that relied on the illegal numbers game for livelihood.

Although many local officials have apparently tried to provide the displaced jueteng workers with alternative livelihood, local resources have been inadequate, he said.

Lapinid, however, cited the case of Candaba, Pampanga as an exception, saying the town’s mayor, Jerry Pelayo, has succeeded in providing local jueteng workers with alternative livelihood.

"The Department of Social Welfare and Development offered P5,000 livelihood assistance to the most adversely affected jueteng workers, but it seems that many beneficiaries did not invest the amount in livelihood projects," he lamented.

Lapinid said crimes against property rose by 30 to as much as 50 percent across Central Luzon since jueteng ground to a halt when he took over as regional police director in August last year.

"But the cases involved petty crimes, such as cellphone snatchings," he said.

Earlier, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Luzon also noted an increase in drug-related cases since the jueteng crackdown.

Lapinid said Central Luzon has remained jueteng-free although there have been "sporadic attempts" by some displaced jueteng workers to revive it in some areas.

"But the police have been on the alert so the attempts were readily curbed," he said.

"But only a few dared to revive jueteng. For one thing, the bail for jueteng is now P10,000 so it will be very costly for the operator," he added.

Lapinid said police officials in Central Luzon have also been wary about jueteng after at least six senior police officers were relieved from their positions after illegal gambling, not necessarily jueteng, was uncovered in their turfs.

"Jueteng has finally been nailed in its coffin and is not likely to resurrect for as long as the police remain vigilant," he said.