MANILA, Philippines - Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla has directed his intelligence officers to verify reports that jueteng has resurfaced in Paco and Tondo.
“There are reports that gambling operators have been testing the waters in Manila and are keen in putting up jueteng in the city. Any station commander found coddling jueteng operators is bound to lose his post,” Rongavilla said.
Unverified reports showed that a certain “Samson” is financing jueteng operations in Manila, specifically in Paco and Tondo. However, Rongavilla said that so far no law enforcement agency has arrested any jueteng personnel in Manila, unlike in Taguig City and Caloocan City where agents of the National Bureau of Investigation nabbed at least eight jueteng maintainers, bet collectors and cabos as a result of the bureau’s anti-gambling operations.
“This only proves that despite a crackdown on jueteng, gambling lords are slowly trying to penetrate Manila to establish their operations,” Rongavilla said.
There are reports that jueteng operators are still using the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)’s small town lottery or the “STL” as front for the gaming scheme.
PCSO Chairman Margarita Juico believes that “Loterya ng Bayan,” the latest version for STL, will be the best weapon to kill jueteng with its program that includes several sets of game menu that would discourage gambling operators to take advantage of the newly formed lottery.
NBI-National Capital Region Director Roel Lasala identified the arrested suspects as Manuel Cielos, Rizza Nepomuceno, Roberto Yap, Ernesto Francisco, Corazon Mingi, Evelyn Quisol, Julieta Magat, Lolita Bucaloy who admitted maintaining jueteng operation in Caloocan City.