Aurora top cop sacked over ‘lo-teng’?

CAMP RAVINA, Aurora, Philippines – Barely a month in his post, the police director of this province was relieved from his position allegedly over his failure to stamp out “lo-teng,” an illegal numbers game.

Chief Superintendent Edgar Ladao, Central Luzon police director, confirmed in a telephone interview that Senior Superintendent Teodorico Perez was relieved last Dec. 23.

Perez was replaced by Senior Superintendent Elmer Bantug, previously assigned at Camp Crame.

Perez served for just a month, replacing Senior Superintendent Jose Hidalgo Jr. who himself served for only two months.

A Camp Olivas official who did not want to be named said Perez’s relief was reportedly due to his failure to stamp out “lo-teng,” a combination of lotto and jueteng numbers wherein the winning combination is culled from the first and last numbers of lotto.

Aurora is the only province among the seven Central Luzon provinces that is considered jueteng-free although “lo-teng” took its place.

Commenting on the reasons for Perez’s relief, Ladao denied though that “lo-teng” had something to do with it.

“No, his relief was not lo-teng-related. The reason is that he was just an OIC (officer-in-charge) and he had to be replaced because somebody has been tapped by Camp Crame,” Ladao said.

Perez could not be reached through his mobile phone.

Bantug is the seventh police colonel to have been appointed as Aurora police director in 39 months. On the average, Aurora gets a new police director every five months over the last three years.

Normally, a provincial police director serves for a minimum two-year “tour of duty.”