37 police officers in 6 regions lose posts over jueteng

Thirty-seven police officers in six regions have been relieved from their positions for their failure to stamp out jueteng in their respective turfs, the spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

"Maraming nasibak na local commanders (Many local commanders have been relieved). I think there are 37 already," Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao, chief of the PNP’s public information office, said during the Fernandina Media Forum at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan yesterday.

The relieved police officers, according to Pagdilao, were posted in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Calabarzon), and 5 (Bicol).

"The PNP is continuing its operations to ensure that jueteng (is eliminated). The deadline set by (PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon) has already passed," he said. 

Pagdilao admitted that gambling lords have taken advantage of the government-backed small town lottery to cover up their illegal activities.

Pagdilao said the illegal numbers game continues to proliferate in some regions in Luzon considered to be traditional jueteng enclaves.

"The (Sept. 30) deadline set by the PNP chief has expired. (He had) directed all regional and provincial commanders to stop jueteng within their areas of responsibility. But there are still some places where gambling lords and their local cohorts operate jueteng… Some of these operators are operating under the cover of the STL," he said.

Pagdilao said jueteng is again being monitored in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Quirino, Cagayan, Pampanga and parts of Southern Tagalog, Ilocos and the Cordilleras.