Speaking last Tuesday at the Baguio Convention Center as the honored guest in the 23rd anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo said the move of his office is pursuant to the directive of President Aquino to stop jueteng and all illegal forms of gambling in the country.
With local government executives and the PNP's regional director for CAR, Chief Superintendent Villamor Bumanglag, in attendance, Robredo said the government's all-out war against jueteng will be waged from the lowest ranks of the police force to the highest offices that condone or protect the outlawed numbers game.
Baguio and Benguet are known strongholds of jueteng with a number of gambling financiers in Central and Northern Luzon fighting for control of the areas where jueteng is a popular game of chance among residents.
In the coming days, The DILG chief will be meeting with officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to discuss a more systematic way on how the controversial small-town lottery (STL) can be used to replace jueteng as popular past-time and, in effect, generate funds for government-assisted development projects.
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In his fearless forecast, Robredo said that if previous DILG officials were unable to sustain their respective campaigns against jueteng, the Aquino administration will do its best to beat illegal gambling operations with political will from the highest seat of power.
