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Sunday, May 29, 2005
Bishops: Luzon not yet free from jueteng
MANILA -- Roman Catholic bishops said Saturday they believe that the illegal numbers game called jueteng has not been eradicated in Luzon as claimed by police authorities.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and a staunch anti-jueteng advocate, and Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, said jueteng is still operating in certain provinces.
"Jueteng (did not stop), it has gone underground and in hiding in Luzon," said Cruz.
Cruz however admitted that there are indeed areas where jueteng has stopped because the local government units there have been aggressive against the illegal numbers game.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Arguelles said jueteng continues to operate in Batangas province despite Lomibao's ultimatum.
"The truth is, vices have never been so rampant unlike now," Arguelles said.
National Police Chief Arturo Lomibao earlier gave municipal, city, provincial and regional police directors until last Friday to eradicate and stop jueteng in their respective areas of jurisdiction and those who fail to do so will be relieved from their posts.
Conspiracy
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., urged Saturday his colleagues to "stop conspiring with Malacañang."
Pimentel lambasted pro-administration senators and congressmen who want to stall or terminate legislative investigations on the illegal numbers game called jueteng.
He said if the allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo do not desist from making their "nonsensical suggestion" of aborting the investigations, they will be accused of conspiring with Malacañang in covering up jueteng operations.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan earlier said the Senate inquiry scheduled on Monday will be terminated if nothing substantial comes out of it.
Pangilinan's stand has the support of Senators Manuel "Lito" Lapid and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Evidence
Lapid, chairman of the Senate games and amusement committee, will hold the Senate inquiry along with Senator Manuel Villar, chairman of the Senate public order and illegal drugs body.
Pangilinan and Lapid earlier said if there is enough evidence against suspected jueteng lords, the hearing should be terminated and the Department of Justice (DOJ) should file charges against the illegal gambling operators before the court.
Pimentel however said the inquiry should go on in order to determine if the anti-illegal gambling law is effective and so that jueteng payola recipients among government, police and military officials as well as legislators can be identified.
Pimentel said the public would not accept the scrapping of the legislative inquiry since they are clamoring for the truth behind the jueteng controversy.
"It is my position that the suggestion is out of place, to say the least, because they are particularly saying that we should leave it to the police or the DOJ to conduct the investigation," Pimentel said.
Pimentel doubted whether an independent commission can conduct a fair investigation on jueteng. (SunnexLuzon)
(May 29, 2005 issue)
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