No jueteng in Pangasinan, cop chief insists

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Without batting an eyelash, the provincial police director yesterday told local newsmen that “there is no jueteng in Pangasinan.”

“I’m challenging you (referring to those who claim there is jueteng), you come over here and see for yourself,” Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte said.

He said many are calling him, including the Philippine National Police chief, about reports that there is jueteng in the province.

But he has one and the same answer: “Wala talaga dito (There is really none here).”  

“I assure you, I will arrest them. If they insist, I will jail them,” he said in Filipino.

He, however, admitted that those collecting bets are from neighboring towns of Pangasinan where there is small town lottery.

But these operators use people from Pangasinan to bring the collections to their area, he said. “But that is still illegal,” he said. 

Last Monday, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, chairman of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, “unloaded” his sadness over the return of jueteng in the country, including Pangasinan, and wondered why President Aquino keeps silent about it.