After jueteng, fruit games return to Vizcaya

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The so-called "fruit games" are making a comeback here.

After police contained attempts to resurrect jueteng, owners and operators of the so-called "fruit game" machines have started resuming their operations in several areas here.

This prompted Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma to call the attention of the provincial police leadership yesterday over the reported re-deployment of the illegal gambling machines in some areas here, especially in the towns of Solano, Bambang  and this capital town.

Senior Superintendent Ro-gelio Damazo, provincial police director, said they would conduct operations on gambling dens. He promised the governor that they would immediately put a stop to the renewed proliferation of the illegal machines.

Last year, the fruit game machines were seized by the police in raids. Earlier this week, however, the illegal machines were reportedly re-deployed in some areas.

Some of the fruit game machines were reportedly consigned to some former jueteng employees who were displaced by the crackdown on the illegal numbers game. — Charlie Lagasca