‘Jueteng still on in Pangasinan’

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Despite Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina’s stern warning against illegal gambling, the illegal numbers game jueteng still persists in this capital town, second district Rep. Amado Espino Jr. claimed yesterday.

Espino said he has called the attention of Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Mendoza Jr., provincial police director, about the matter, but that it merely "fell on deaf ears."

The provincial police headquarters are located right in this town.

"I might be forced to do the raid myself on the jueteng den here, assisted by other law enforcement agencies," said Espino, a retired police colonel who once served as police director of Pangasinan.

Espino said jueteng draws are being held in Barangay Maniboc, where Mayor Josefina Castañeda, incidentally, hails from.

He identified a certain Clyde Benabese as the alleged jueteng maintainer.

According to Espino, this home-province of President Arroyo’s late mother, especially this capital town, is becoming a "laughingstock" because local and police officials seem to tolerate jueteng.

This, despite repeated pleas by no less than Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to concerned officials to show determination in stopping jueteng which, he said, is only giving false hopes to the poor bettors while fattening the pockets of its maintainers.

But Castañeda’s husband, former mayor Ernesto Castañeda, denied Espino’s allegations.

He said his wife even issued a directive to the police chief to stop jueteng at all costs because her administration is being criticized for its failure to curb the illegal numbers game.

He quoted a police report as saying that several illegal gambling suspects have been arrested and that those who remain in operation are doing so "covertly."

The former mayor also belied accusations that jueteng money is being used by people in his wife’s camp to court votes in the barangay elections. Polls in 12 barangays here were suspended due to the floods.