‘Put action where your mouth is,’ CBCP tells government on illegal gambling

The Catholic Church wants the government to take immediate action to stop the proliferation of illegal gambling, particularly jueteng, in the country.

As part of the effort, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has forged an alliance with local government officials nationwide.

Archbishop of Dagupan Oscar Cruz said he will meet next week with governors and mayors from so-called "jueteng-free areas" to discuss concrete action against illegal gambling.

"It’s about time for them to put action where their mouth is," he said.

The former CBCP president said the alliance between the Church and local government officials is aimed at stamping out jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling.

"We will be meeting with only a few mayors and governors from areas declared free of jueteng and we are going to exchange views on how they were able to get rid of illegal gambling and apply it to other areas in the country," he said.

Cruz said the Church is tired of listening to speeches of government officials on how to fight gambling but without any action being taken to stop the problem.

A two-day seminar will be held in collaboration with local government officials in line with the Catholic Church’s anti-illegal gambling campaign, he added.

The CBCP announcement came amid reports that jueteng is back in Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Pampanga.

Catholic bishops will meet with other religious leaders so they could come out with a stronger and coordinated campaign against illegal gambling.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina has given himself a year to eradicate jueteng but police have so far only netted Melchor Caluag, alias Ngongo, a suspected Pampanga gambling lord.

However, a police general said the 43 other gambling lords have not been named as Lina had promised.

"It’s more than six months now since Secretary Lina launched his jueteng campaign, but of the 44 gambling lords operating all over the country, only Caluag was arrested and charged," he said.

The police general said policemen appear not to be heeding Lina’s call for an all-out anti-illegal gambling campaign nationwide.

"Our officers and men are not afraid of the threats of Secretary Lina to relieve us from our posts anymore," he said.

Even the interior department’s Task Force Jericho is no longer relentless in raiding jueteng operations, the police general added. –Mayen Jaymalin, Non Alquitran