Baguio dads to quiz law enforcers on jueteng

BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City council has summoned the local police and other law enforcement agencies to shed light on the reported resurgence of jueteng here.

"There is a need to find out from these peacekeeping agencies what they are doing to stop the operation of jueteng and similar gambling activities," said councilor Galo Weygan.

Weygan and fellow councilors Leandro Yangot Jr., Daniel Fariñas, Perlita Chan-Rondez, and Rocky Thomas Balisong made the move following reports that jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling have resurfaced in the city.

Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, city police chief, said he is willing to face the coun—cilors, although he reminded them that a lottery game called "Bingo sa Barangay" is being operated in the city.

"Once the legality of the ‘Bingo sa Barangay’ is resolved, we can now act on reports of jueteng resurgence," he said.

Nerez said his men have not been remiss on their crackdown on illegal gambling. However, a suspected jueteng den raided last week turned out to be a "Bingo sa Barangay" outlet, he said.

The city’s Association of Barangay Captains has been operating the "Bingo sa Barangay" for several months supposedly to raise funds for community projects.

But critics, including Mayor Braulio Yaranon, claimed that it is jueteng masquerading as bingo socials.

Several months ago, anti-gambling crusader Odell Aquino filed a graft complaint against ABC head Rufino Panagan and barangay captain Albert Della with the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the "Bingo sa Barangay."

The two, however, denied the accusations, and filed a P40-million libel case against Aquino.