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Thursday, May 26, 2005
Mayors seek Arroyo nod on bingo 2-ball
By Dante M. Fabian
CLARK ECOZONE -- Acting to offset worsening unemployment caused by the war against jueteng, two Metro Clark mayors urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday to study the bingo 2-ball lottery as an alternative to the illegal numbers game.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin and Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales told Arroyo during her visit to the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) could operate this bingo 2-ball and employ jueteng bet collectors so they would have a means of livelihood.
Morales said Arroyo promised to study all possible options to solve the problems that accompanied the crackdown on the illegal numbers game jueteng.
"This is very significant since it will generate revenues for local government units and create employment for the marginalized sectors," he said.
Lazatin, for his part, said the lottery, which would accept bets in varying amounts, would gain support from the grassroots if jueteng collectors were employed to collect bets.
He added that the legal lottery will solve the increasing unemployment problem.
The two mayors said the bingo 2-ball will provide alternative livelihood to many jueteng collectors and financiers now deprived of their incomes by the crackdown on jueteng.
Morales said Arroyo is working to provide livelihood to the thousands of former jueteng personnel.
He added that Arroyo accepted their bingo 2-ball proposal but said Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima is already studying a similar scheme that will allow its operation by private investors.
Lazatin said Purisima favored the private investors over government corporations, which are "poor in business", to run the lottery with PCSO just acting as the regulatory body for the lottery.
He said they proposed the legal lottery because the void left by the eradication of jueteng will worsen the crime situation in the country.
(May 26, 2005 issue)
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