Pangasinan cops given ‘bible’ on evils of jueteng

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — This province’s policemen will soon have a new weapon in exorcising jueteng, which continues to infiltrate some towns here through "guerrilla" tactics.

Aside from their licensed firearms, the police officers will be toting a small "bible" designed to help them convince locals about the evils of gambling, particularly jueteng.

The bible is actually a small brochure titled "Catechism on Gambling," bundles of which were sent yesterday to Senior Superintendent Mario Sandiego, provincial police director, by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Cruz is a well-known crusader against the illegal numbers game and organizer of the Krusadang Bayan Laban Sa Jueteng (Jueteng-Free Philippines) which gives out awards to local government and police officials nationwide who have been successful in reducing — if not totally eradicating — jueteng operations in their respective areas.

Superintendent Ricardo Tamayo, community relations officer of the provincial police, said copies are now being distributed to the 48 police chiefs in the province.

In his Aug. 5 letter to Sandiego, Cruz said the brochure is the bible of the anti-jueteng crusade being waged in the province.

"Please have them as a little help to the speakers’ bureau you intend to form," Cruz said.

The archbishop also expressed his admiration and gratitude to Sandiego for his "much appreciated cooperation in cleansing the province of the illegal numbers game called jueteng."

Since Aug. 1, authorities here have reported a virtual halt to jueteng due to the relentless crackdown on gambling operators and their backers.

Some jueteng maintainers, however, have managed to continue by using clandestine tactics.

"Jueteng is not invincible! You just proved it so. It is enough for your good self to say ‘No to Jueteng!’ and it is gone or gone into hiding," Cruz said in his letter to Sandiego.