Baguio bingoteng ditched

BAGUIO CITY – Majority of the board of directors of the Association of Barangay Chairmen running the bingoteng here is withdrawing their support to this controversial “game of chance,” perhaps their best gift yet to Baguio City celebrating its 99th year on Monday.   

Eight of the 11 members of the ABC are dumping the maligned bingo-socials being operated here that is akin to jueteng, finally realizing that it is hounded by legal and moral issues.

ABC vice president Eva Marie Fianza, Happy Homes barangay chairman said they had realized that the operation of bingoteng which they actively supported for months is not going towards the direction of helping the barangays.

At least 58 of the 128 barangays in the city had endorsed bingoteng’s operation, dreaming of barangay projects that the city cannot fund.    

Operating for four months now however, barangay chairmen said they have yet to see tangible projects.

Fianza who earlier “fought” bingoteng critics as she invoked financial autonomy of barangays to raise funds for village projects admitted that bingoteng “is not for the betterment of barangays.”  

Despite being branded as gamblers and immoral people with reservations at first, we gave the proponents a chance to try it, but Fianza claimed, “it has not prospered.” Perhaps, she added, “we have different forms of sourcing for funds for barangays.”

Aside from it, Fianza said, bingoteng under the ABC’s name had cast doubt on the integrity of the ABC Board. Instead of good, it has created more harm on the barangays, she added.    

The female barangay chief also lamented the operation of the bingoteng, earlier supported by some 60 barangay chiefs, had many inconsistencies including transparency of the funds and who is really behind it. “All the while, akala namin barangay leaders, pero may iba na nasa likod.”