Batangas, philippines – Amid the brouhaha over the resurgence of jueteng and allegations that some officials, including those associated with President Aquino, receiving payola, the Batangas police yesterday admitted that the illegal numbers game exists in the province.
Superintendent Arcadio Ronquillo, public information officer of the Batangas police, told reporters though that jueteng flourishes guerrilla-style in the province.
Confirming Ronquillo’s admission was the arrest of at least 19 jueteng bet collectors in the cities of Lipa and Tanauan and the towns of Laurel, Sto. Tomas and Tuy in the past few days.
Two men were arrested in Laurel town collecting jueteng bets supposedly for the government-sanctioned Small Town Lottery (STL). Of those arrested, majority – 12 – fell in a police sweep in Tanauan City.
The anti-jueteng operation was an offshoot of former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz exposé that two officials of the Aquino administration have allegedly been receiving at least P2 million in monthly payola from jueteng lords.
Cruz, head of Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, said the illegal numbers game still exists in Regions 1 (Ilocos region), 3 (Central Luzon) and 4 (Southern Luzon).
Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, however, denied the report and insisted that her administration is against any form of gambling, including jueteng.
“I am not encouraging any form of gambling, including jueteng, at alam yan ng mga mayor (and the mayors know that). May directive ako tungkol dyan sa lahat ng (I have a directive on that to all the) mayors. We are not part of it,” she said.
For his part, Laguna Gov. George “ER” Ejercito admitted that jueteng exists in Laguna and called for its legalization.
Quezon Gov. David Suarez refused to comment on the issue and instead demanded Cruz name the coddlers of the illegal numbers game.
Meanwhile, the Batangas Enhance Technology System (BETS), an STL franchise holder, welcomed the crackdown on jueteng in the province.