Gov't to phase out small town lottery

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino disclosed yesterday that the controversial small town lottery (STL) operations nationwide would be phased out and replaced with a new game still under evaluation by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

“STL – as it exists as an experiment – is over,” Aquino told reporters at the gym of the Manuel Enverga University Foundation in Lucena City where he administered the oath to new members of the ruling Liberal Party.

The objective of putting up STL was to eradicate the decades-old illegal numbers game jueteng that still proliferates in the provinces. Many though have claimed that STL and jueteng are the same and nothing has really changed in terms of illegal gambling.

The PCSO, which earlier granted franchises to STL operators, together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of the Executive Secretary, is now studying the mechanics of the phaseout of the lottery.

The Department of Justice is also reviewing the legality of the STL contracts.

Before the death of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo in a plane crash last Aug. 18, the department had already been preparing a comprehensive plan to replace STL that had failed to eradicate jueteng.

Aquino said incoming Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II would now handle the STL plan.

Police investigation showed that some jueteng operators have been using STL as front for illegal gambling operations.

Aquino recalled that the government ordered the closure of Meridian Ventures, but that the courts issued an injunction, tying the hands of Robredo and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

PCSO chair Margarita Juico said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) that the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are responsible for stopping jueteng operations.

“The PCSO has no police power,” she said.

Juico also clarified that STL only operates in nine provinces.

She said the STL was an inherited problem from the previous administration and the new PCSO board has been reviewing the operations of STL that will be replaced by a new game called the Loterya ng Bayan.

At least 23 of the 26 current STL operators have applied for permit for the newly launched Loterya ng Bayan.

The STL operators were among the 180 applicants who are seeking permits to operate Loterya in various parts of the country.

PCSO records showed that STL operations were launched in Romblon, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Southern Leyte, Leyte province, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan Iloilo, Capiz, Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Palace to wipe out jueteng

Malacañang vowed to eradicate jueteng through an “integrated campaign” against the illegal numbers game, belying accusations hurled by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago that the Aquino government has allowed illegal gambling to flourish.

President spokesman Edwin Lacierda explained that the government would be doing away with the STL – which experts say is still jueteng – but has yet to implement a replacement when Robredo suddenly died in a plane crash.

“It’s not accurate to say that we were not doing anything on jueteng,” he insisted.

“It (STL) has proven not to be effective. We have to replace STL. It was implemented with the purpose of combating jueteng. Apparently, it is not doing its job of combating jueteng. That’s why we need to find a replacement or alternative,” he pointed out.

Lacierda said “the government has taken a position that would best ensure an effective campaign against jueteng, and that’s what we are looking into,” without giving additional details.

“We’re looking at it right now. I will not be able to provide the details yet but it’s in the works. We will wait until it’s been finalized. We will announce it,” he revealed.

“What we’re looking into is to provide gainful employment and making sure that it is a measure that would effectively prevent jueteng that encourages corruption,” Lacierda said.

He also denied insinuations that the anti-jueteng campaign had no effect.

“In certain areas, jueteng has been expunged. I don’t know specific areas but we were informed that there were certain areas where it has already been expunged. But because these are investigations that were handled by Jesse, I was not privy to those,” he said.

“But certainly, there is an integrated campaign against jueteng. Insofar as the statement of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago that we’re not doing any–hing - that is not entirely true,” he added.

He said the police have filed cases and it was in 2011 or 2010 then the case against Meridian was filed.

He said the policy of the President, which Secretary Robredo was supposed to have implemented, was an integrated approach to combat jueteng.

PNP defends anti-jueteng program

The PNP said law enforcers were not remiss on their mandate to go after jueteng.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the PNP leadership monitors the involvement of policemen in various illegal activities, including illegal gambling.

“To give you a bird’s eye view (on the PNP’s effort to intensify anti-jueteng drive), from January to June, about 100 policemen were dismissed from the service for involvement in various violations or serious irregularities,” said Cerbo.

Cerbo said that the statistics of policemen penalized for illegal gambling were apart from law enforcers slapped with suspension, forfeiture of salaries, reprimanded, or admonished.

“This means we continue our monitoring on the activities of PNP personnel involved in illegal activities, including their involvement in gambling.”

Cerbo, however, could not provide the percentage of policemen dismissed, suspended or reprimanded for their involvement in illegal gambling.

He said that the PNP will look into the statement of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the daily take from jueteng operations has reached P50 million, where a police regional director could get between P2 million and P3 million a month, while a police provincial commander could receive between P500,000 and P1.5 million a month.

Lacson also recommended a review of the STL amid the continuing operations of jueteng operators that use STL operations as a front.

Lacson, a former PNP chief, also expressed support for the call of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III for the Senate to conduct an investigation on jueteng.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee will give way to Pimentel to conduct a probe on jueteng.

Blue Ribbon chairman Teofisto Guingona III said he will be coordinating with Pimentel regarding the jueteng probe. Pimentel chairs the Senate committee on games and amusement. With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Perseus Echeminada, Christina Mendez