Flaw in the law

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. has blamed the country’s weak and defective anti-illegal gambling laws for the continued existence of jueteng despite a renewed campaign against operators of the illegal numbers game.

In an interview with radio station dzMM, Lina said there is a resurgence of jueteng in Metro Manila and neighboring areas because the penalties and fines imposed on arrested individuals are not that stiff.

Lina downplayed calls for his resignation, saying the self-imposed one-year deadline he set to stamp out jueteng was made on condition that Congress would pass a stiffer anti-illegal gambling law.

He said jueteng collectors or operators arrested in the morning can post bail for P400, allowing them to resume their activities later in the day.

In a separate statement, the public affairs office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said the anti-illegal campaign will continue to be ineffective without a stiffer law.

"Congress must help eradicate jueteng by enacting the appropriate law that will increase the penalties and bail bonds for illegal gambling offenders... our campaign must be aided by tougher laws to effectively neutralized illegal gambling syndicates," Lina said.

He also clarified that the one-year deadline would actually expire on May 6, when he began a Luzon-wide crackdown against jueteng and not on April 3 as earlier reported.

Lina announced the campaign against jueteng during a meeting attended by ranking police and government officials at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame on April 3, 2002.

In that meeting, he vowed to step down if he fails to deliver on his promise to stamp out jueteng in a year’s time.

Since launching the drive, Lina has relieved regional, provincial and district commanders for their failure to stop jueteng in their areas of jurisdiction.

Even local chief executives received stern warnings that they could be stripped of their power over local police if they fail to stop jueteng operations in their localities.

Lina, meanwhile, has announced considerable gains in the anti-jueteng drive, particularly in provinces of Catanduanes, Palawan, Occidental Mindoro and Romblon.

The DILG has also announced the neutralization of jueteng in Ifugao and some towns of Pangasinan.

Despite the daily crackdown on jueteng, gambling lords continue to operate in various parts of Luzon.

No more excuses

Ranking police officials urged Lina to address the problem instead of resorting to finger-pointing in the wake of the failed campaign to stamp out jueteng.

"To save himself from further embarrassment, Secretary Lina should confront the problem," one police general said. "By evading the issue and pointing to others, he is only pulling himself down."

Police officials told The Star that when the jueteng campaign was launched last year, Lina had been fully aware of the defects of the country’s anti-gambling laws.

They said Lina lobbied for Congress to impose stiffer penalties on violators, but this has not materialized.

When asked why the campaign failed, the police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lina has been addressing only one part of the four-pronged jueteng problem.

"He kept on focusing on law enforcement and forgot to address the three others," said another police official, referring to the political, economics and social aspects of the problem.

In June of last year, Lina relieved from their posts Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, then Central Luzon police chief, and six other ranking police officials for their being remiss in the campaign against jueteng. Berroya and company were placed on floating status until they were reinstated to lead other units several months back.

Other officials said Lina’s jueteng campaign failed because gambling lords have been shelling out protection money to operating units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) so their illegal business can continue. – With Non Alquitran