Jueteng resurgence a ‘bad sign,’ say bishops

Two Catholic bishops expressed alarm yesterday over reports that jueteng has resurfaced in some provinces and reiterated the Church’s opposition to small town lottery (STL) to replace the illegal numbers game.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz and Balanga, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas both described the reported resurgence of jueteng as a "bad sign."

Cruz, who heads the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, believes that government officials are deliberately ignoring the issue on gambling with the 2007 elections getting near.

"Those in power and influence stop it at will for a reason, and at will likewise (to) have it resumed for a purpose. At one time, it is eventually all gone. After some time, it is surprisingly slowly but surely back," he said.

Cruz likened jueteng operations to "a cat with proverbial nine lives and like a bad dream."

"The proclaimed anti-jueteng czar is simply set aside. Republic Act 9287 is of no consequence. The Philippine National Police and the Department of the Interior and Local Government are irrelevant. The jueteng syndicate is again alive and well. The jueteng structure is intact, strong and operational," he said.

Cruz said the Krusadang Bayan has received reports that jueteng has resumed in the Ilocos provinces, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Quezon, and Camarines Sur.

For his part, Villegas called on the Catholic faithful in the provinces to refrain from betting to prevent jueteng and other forms of gambling from proliferating.

Gambling, according to Villegas, only becomes a "source of corruption in government" and promotes vices that "force people to forget the important needs of their children like food and education."

"Gambling operations that are now proliferating in Bataan only promote indolence and lead to deceit instead of a life in truth," he said.

Villegas added that STL should not have been allowed in Bataan, which he described as a "cradle of heroes."

He said the government made a wrong decision in implementing STL, adding that it should be ready to face the consequences, especially in the next elections. — With Eva Visperas