Cavite town police chief sacked over ‘jueteng’

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao relieved a police chief in Cavite following the arrest of 46 suspected jueteng personnel on Sunday.

Lomibao placed on floating status Chief Inspector Conrad Gongon, chief of the General Trias Police in Cavite, the first police official to be axed over jueteng this year.

In 2005, Lomibao sacked two provincial directors, 12 city and town police chiefs in line with the one-strike policy on jueteng. The PNP has intensified the campaign against the illegal numbers game last year.

President Arroyo even tapped Puerto Princesa, Palawan Mayor Eduard Hagedorn to help the PNP in the campaign against jueteng and come up with programs to help jueteng workers who were displaced by the campaign.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said Gongon’s relief came after operatives of the Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Operation Task Force (AIGSTF) arrested 46 kobradores (bet collectors) who had just drawn the winning number in a jueteng game.

Bataoil noted that the arrested persons were on board four vehicles — three passenger jeeps and a Hyundai car — which were about to leave Holiday Homes Subdivision in General Trias town in Cavite where the draw was held.

Recovered from the suspects were P20,000 in cash and jueteng paraphernalia.

"The PNP’s operations against jueteng is a continuing effort. We have learned that there were indeed efforts to operate jueteng, but your PNP will further intensify the campaign against it," said Bataoil.

To dissuade people from betting in the illegal numbers game, Bataoil said the PNP has been disseminating information on the penalties that getting caught in the act of betting in the game entails.

Republic Act 9287 or the illegal gambling law provides that if government officials were found to be involved in jueteng, they could be perpetually disqualified from holding government office.

Bataoil said the PNP leadership is counting on the sincerity and effectiveness of field commanders in carrying out anti-illegal gambling operations in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

"We expect field commanders to take active steps to stop these attempts of operators at the very start, and file violation of RA 9287 cases against them," he said.

Bataoil said they would also encourage bet collectors to identify their financiers and protectors.

Without any cooperation, the PNP spokesman admitted that the police are helpless in its campaign.

Bataoil admitted the possibility that some of those officers relieved from their post for failure to stop jueteng in their areas of jurisdiction may be reappointed to another post due to lack of police personnel. He gave assurances, however, that disciplinary actions will be imposed on these police officials before their re-appointment. — With Arnell Ozaeta