PNP spokesman wants jueteng legalized

A top police official favors a move to legalize jueteng to stop the corruption of some police officials, who have reportedly been getting protection money from illegal gambling operators.

"Personally, the way we see it, it can be legalized," Senior Superintendent Joel Goltiao, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman, told radio station dzBB.

"The (operations of the) casino is legal, so the degree of morality is the same," he said.

However, Goltiao said the PNP has yet to gather evidence to pin down police officials who are on the take.

"Kailangan ng evidence bago aminin ’yan," he said.

Goltiao said the PNP cannot always take the blame for rampant jueteng operations nationwide because the problem is rooted in the lack of livelihood for many Filipinos.

Goltiao said information gathered by police showed many people get involved in jueteng because their income is not enough to support their families.

"In our experience, the bettors have low income or they are in the lower (economic) bracket of the society," he said. "They hope to double their money, kasi madaling manalo."

The matter of lega-lizing jueteng would be up to Congress, he added.

Goltiao spoke about legalizing jueteng after a group of businessmen said they would ask whoever wins in the May 10 presidential elections to urge Congress to pass a law legalizing the illegal numbers game.

Last December, PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered police regional officials to stop jueteng within their territories.

Until the end of last year, Ebdane was claiming that the police had been able to "neutralize" at least 98 percent of jueteng operations in the country. — Christina Mendez