Bill legalizing jueteng not a House priority

The proposed legalization of jueteng, masiao and other illegal numbers games is not among the priorities of the House of Representatives.

"No, we are not prioritizing the jueteng bill," Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella said yesterday.

He said his chamber’s priorities are the approval of the P725-billion 2001 budget and the power restructuring bill.

Fuentebella was commenting on the accusation of party-list Rep. Leonardo Montemayor that the House is giving priority to the proposal to legalize all fly-by-night numbers games.

Montemayor, who belongs to the minority, made the claim after the ways and means committee chaired by Rep. Danilo Suarez (LAMP, Quezon) endorsed the jueteng legalization bill.

He said the opposition led by Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Lakas, Quezon City) will oppose the measure.

"Gambling, whether legal or illegal, destroys our moral values and corrupts officialdom. On this basis alone, that bill should be opposed," Montemayor said.

He said the decision made by the ways and means committee is also against President Estrada’s recent order for the scrapping of legal gambling activities.

"Unless of course they are again engaging in double talk," he added.

The opposition scored a major victory last week in its fight against what is called the gambling mania of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The tribunal ruled that jai alai and other gambling activities not clearly covered by Pagcor’s charter need congressional approval. The ruling was handed down upon petition by opposition Representatives Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon, Federico Sandoval II of Malabon-Navotas and Michael Defensor of Quezon City.

Montemayor said the administration apparently wants to revive the controversial Bingo 2-ball project of presidential friend Charlie "Atong" Ang if the jueteng legalization bill is enacted.

Bingo 2-ball was the proposed legal equivalent of jueteng.

The party-list congressman said Pagcor and Ang saw the money-making potential of their 2-Ball project when illegal gambling operators paid as much as P10 million to the President’s friend just to be allowed to be part of the legal jueteng operation.