Ilocos bishop blames officials for jueteng resurgence

by Roy Lagarde, CBCP Monitor, October 15-28, 2007 Vol. 11 No. 21.

JUETENG is alive in Ilocos provinces because some local officials and even law enforcers are supporting it, a Church official said.

Laoag bishop Sergio Utleg alleged that some of these officials were even running the illegal numbers game themselves and stepping up operations.

“They are in favor of jueteng of course because they profit from it,” he said.

Utleg said they are planning to release another pastoral statement against jueteng to show their continuous opposition and remind the people about its negative impact
to society.

“Jueteng is bad because it promotes graft and corruption and disrespect for the law. It really has to be stopped,” he said.

In another development, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz yesterday hailed Manila mayor Alfredo Lim in his effort to stop jueteng operations in his jurisdiction.

“In Manila I know there’s no jueteng,” said Cruz who heads the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Sugal (People’s Crusade Against Gambling).

But the prelate said Lim’s effort should continue because jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling remained pervasive in other areas.

“I will encourage anybody to do away with it because jueteng is an exploitation of the people,” he also said.