The continued and rampant operation of jueteng in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet, and Pangasinan prompted religious and civic groups, including Parents-Teachers Association, to bring the anti-jueteng fight to Malacañang.
The groups urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to ask Local Government Secretary Ricardo Puno and PNP chief Director Gen. Avelino Razon to look into the alleged silence of regional, provincial and town police chiefs in the region over the rampant illegal numbers game.
The group earlier condemned local government and police officials in Baguio and neighboring towns and provinces, including La Trinidad, over the reported blatant jueteng invasion of schools.
They claimed jueteng collectors have been luring schoolchildren to bet in the “immoral game of chance.”
The jueteng operation has reportedly been mocking Razon’s anti-jueteng campaign. Sources said jueteng has become even more stronger as daily bet collections has recently eclipsed the P12-million mark.
“Grabe talaga, garapalan na sila kung magpataya, minsan sa harap pa mismo ng pulis,” a parent, who identified herself only as Aling Saling, said.
Jueteng whistle-blower Sid Paparazzi identified the most powerful jueteng lord in Baguio and La Trinidad as “Luding,” said to be working with high-ranking police official in Region 1.
Anti-jueteng groups have continuously been denouncing the brazen disregard of their complaint against illegal numbers game, which they said have started spreading to other provinces and cities.
It was learned that Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. had issued directive to stop jueteng in the city, but was met with defiance from the jueteng operators because of the strong link between Luding and the ranking police official.
The jueteng source said former Baguio City chief of police Sr. Supt. Moises Guevarra has been relieved from his post after conducting raids on jueteng dens and for conducting an intensified campaign against gambling, including jueteng.
Paparazzi named other regions with rampant jueteng operation as National Capital Region, Regions 3, 4 and 5 managed by a certain Al Ko of NCR and who claimed he was the general’s puppy; Tony Santos, Perry M., Pepang, Eddie, Boy Mayor, Boy Bata, J. Jimenez, A. Umali and Jess U., J. Lao, Tony Ong, H. Herrera, L. Lim and B. Villafuerte.
Paparazzi said Al Ko was the greediest of all jueteng tong collectors in National Capital Region. Erick Silverio
