Saturday, September 08, 2007 Roxas: Jueteng resurges in Angeles By Fred Roxas Countryside Pulse
THE illegal numbers game jueteng has resurged with impunity in Angeles City when Mayor Francis Nepomuceno stopped the operations of a similar but lawful gambling of small-town lottery (STL).
This was observed by majority of the local city councilors who claimed that aside from jueteng operations, another illegal gambling of video karera has resurfaced in the city also with impunity.
Because of this development, some city councilors and concerned citizens, especially parents have urged police authorities in Camp Crame particularly PNP Chief Oscar Calderon to order a crackdown on illegal gambling operations in the city.
Jueteng is reportedly being managed by a gambling lord popularly in Central Luzon as alias Ngok-Ngok who is a former barangay official. Video karera, on the other hand, is being maintained by a non-commissioned PNP officer popularly known among local executives and police officers as alias Paris. He has long been assigned to Camp Crame where he has been on absent without official leave (Awol) for a number of years now. He now owns a residential mansion and some commercial establishments in Pampanga.
Only surprised raids by police operatives from Camp Crame could be positive in conducting raids against jueteng and video karera in Angeles, according to some Angeles councilors and members of the local media.
Local policemen and City Hall workers forcibly padlocked the main office of STL at 5 a.m. in Barangay Lourdes North West here on order of Mayor Nepomuceno last August 14.
At least 30 men, some of whom were detailed at Station 2 of the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO), padlocked the main door of the office of the Lake Tahoe Gaming and Amusement Corp. (LTGACI) as about 100 STL workers and their families, including children, were sleeping inside the three-storey building, according to witnesses.
The police and personnel of the city’s Business and Licensing Division (BPLD) went inside the first floor of the LTGACI building after forcibly opening the main door and then padlocked another door inside, they added.
What if the building burned and we are still inside with our children,” said a LTGACI employee. Some LTGACI workers reside in the firm’s building together with their families and children.
Angeles Police Director Sonny Cunanan said his policemen assisted in the closing of the LTGACI building.
The STL operation was stopped for alleged violation of Republic Act (RA) 7160 and for being issued a questionable business permit without the necessary documents. But the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), through their legal department, asked the mayor to recall his closure order for LTGACI, citing that Local Government Units (LGUs) have no right to issue a closure order for their STL operations.
Majority of this city’s councilors and employees have expressed jubilation over the reopening of the legalized STL.
The officials and employees said the City Government would now realize again an extra-income of at least P10 million a year representing its shares from the STL operation by the PCSO. This is in addition from the shares of the local police department.
Others who have expressed joy and relief were 2,000 poor STL employees who were displaced by jueteng cabos and bet collectors.
When Nepomuceno stopped the legal STL operation in the city, LTGAC also stopped giving the shares of STL to the City Government. LTGAC is the duly authorized STL agent of the PCSO.
Majority of the City Council adopted a resolution denouncing their mayor for ordering the closure of the STL operation which they said is allowed by law.
Nepomuceno has yet to justify his order to stop STL in Angeles despite the extra income of at least P10 million a year for the City Government.
