Jueteng still on in Isabela

ILAGAN, Isabela — Jueteng still persists in the province despite Gov. Grace Padaca’s appeal last week for its stoppage.

In Santiago City, Fr. Noel Cruz held the local police responsible for the revival of the illegal numbers game, saying it could not have resurfaced had law enforcers been serious enough in going against it.

Jueteng has reportedly returned in at least 11 out of the province’s 35 municipalities, including this capital town, as well as in Cauayan City.

Earlier, Padaca said she and Chief Superintendent Jefferson Soriano, Cagayan Valley police director, agreed to give Senior Superintendent Oscar Fiesta, provincial police director, one week to stop jueteng.

Padaca said she would call for Fiesta’s relief should he fail to stamp out the illegal numbers game.

She also brought the problem to the attention of Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao.

"I’m sorry to bring this up to you again but jueteng has crept back to Isabela and how! All the so-called raids that zero in on the cobradores are futile," she told Lomibao.

Fiesta’s deadline lapsed last Friday but according to reports, jueteng still continues in some towns.

Fiesta said they have been conducting raids without let-up on suspected gambling dens across the province, resulting in the arrest of a number of bet collectors.

Padaca has received support from Ilagan Bishop Sergio Utleg, who himself has condemned the return of jueteng last April 28.

He said the Catholic Church has been vocal in denouncing jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling.

Meanwhile, a number of bet collectors staged pickets in the towns of Cordon, Alicia, San Mateo, Aurora and Roxas yesterday morning to demand alternative means of livelihood should jueteng be totally stamped out anew.