‘There’s no jueteng in P’panga’

ANGELES CITY  – The police directors of Pampanga and this city belied claims that jueteng persists in their turfs, but admitted that “bookies” have persisted as they capitalize on the legal operations of the small town lottery (STL).

“I am not privy to reports that jueteng persists in Pampanga. I don’t think we have jueteng in the province,” Senior Superintendent Keith Singian, provincial police director, told The STAR.

Senior Superintendent Felixberto Castillo, who was installed as Angeles City police chief only last month, also issued the same denial.

Castillo took over after Senior Superintendent George Gaddi was sacked following a violent raid on the Lake Tahoe STL office here.

Castillo insisted that some STL employees were allegedly engaged in “bookies,” which he said some people mistook as jueteng.

The Lake Tahoe office was padlocked during the raid, but Castillo said it reopened last Monday after “compromise talks” with city officials.

Earlier, Pampanga first district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, vice chairman of the House of committee on games and amusement, cited reports that jueteng rakes in P90 million monthly in this city and P900 million in other parts of Pampanga. 

He said the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which runs STL, and the local governments hosting STL operations are losing out to the popular illegal numbers game.

But Singian said the “bookies” of some STL employees, particularly in Mabalacat and Magalang towns, are being mistaken as jueteng operations.

“What these STL bet collectors do is remit only 50 percent of the bets to the STL operator and retain the other 50 percent for bookies,” he said.