Attempts to revive jueteng in Isabela foiled, police say

ILAGAN, Isabela — Police claimed to have thwarted attempts to revive jueteng in the province after a few days of "guerrilla" operations in some communities.

Local police authorities led by acting provincial police director Oscar Fiesta said they were able to foil the attempts by jueteng operators just before they could fully resume the illegal numbers game.

Jueteng reportedly resurfaced in some barangays last week after almost two years of absence.

Reports said it resumed last April 28 and went into full swing in several areas, including this capital town’s interior villages.

But jueteng ground to a halt the other day after Fiesta ordered municipal police chiefs to arrest jueteng bet collectors in their respective areas.

Gov. Grace Padaca has repeatedly warned local police officials that she would not hesitate to recommend their relief should they fail to stop attempts to revive the illegal numbers game.

Alicia Mayor Napoleon Dy, president of the Isabela mayors’ league, admitted that emissaries of some jueteng financiers had courted some mayors to revive the illegal numbers game.

But Dy said the local officials turned them down despite offers of "goodwill." However, jueteng "dry-runs" were able to take off last week until last Wednesday.

Jueteng’s short-lived resurgence here came as local officials were divided on the government-sanctioned small town lottery (STL).

The provincial board, led by Vice Gov. Ramon Reyes, a political ally of Padaca, passed a resolution addressed to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) endorsing STL.

The provincial board urged the state-run PCSO to consider Isabela as one of the pilot or experimental areas for STL.

In justifying their resolution, Reyes said STL, besides generating additional revenues for local governments, would also end the culture of corruption which jueteng has spawned. 

For her part, Padaca has been vocal in her opposition to STL, saying that the government’s legalized lottery is no different from jueteng.

Last week, the local Catholic Church led by Ilagan Bishop Sergio Utleg came out with a declaration against STL, vowing that they would utilize the pulpit to air their sentiments against it should local officials issue permits for its entry.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao has ordered police units in the Ilocos region to be aggressive in their anti-jueteng efforts following reports that the illegal numbers game has resumed in the region.

A ranking police official at Camp Diego Silang told The STAR that persistent reports on the resurgence of jueteng prompted Lomibao to issue the order.

"Because of the persistent reports that have reached the attention of (Lomibao), we are now verifying (if jueteng operators are) sabotaging the operation of STL by operating jueteng at the same time. If, indeed, there are jueteng operations, we will arrest those involved and file charges against them," he said. — With Jun Elias