The time is ripe for the government to consider whether jueteng should be legalized in view of the recent controversies over the illegal numbers game, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Thursday.
After administering an oath-taking ceremony in Malacañang, Binay told reporters that during his campaign sorties, he received information that jueteng was not shunned in some areas.
"Probably it’s high time to review the position of the government in the light of what has transpired. Meron namang panukala in the past. Ako ngayon, yung mga nakakausap ko, mukhang natatanggap na nila yun e (There were proposals in the past. Based on my conversations with some people, it looks like they have accepted it)," said Binay, a former mayor of Makati City.
When asked who he talked to regarding jueteng, Binay answered: "Sa mga kalye. Alam mo kasi nung ako ay nagkakampanya sinasabi ko pag ako naging panagalawang pangulo wag kayo mag-aalala ako po ay magpaparating ng mga damdaming ipapaabot nyo sa akin (From the streets. I promised during the campaign that if I become vice president, I would voice their concerns)."
Retired Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz recently alleged that two of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III’s trusted people, Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and recently retired National Police chief Jesus Verzosa, received millions in jueteng payola. Both denied the bishop's claims.
Binay said: "Panahon na siguro na pag-usapan muli, tignan muli kung dapat ngang ma-legalize o hindi (Maybe it's time to talk about whether it should be legalized)."
Binay noted the government could possibly earn huge revenues from the legalization of jueteng, but he quickly added that revenue alone is not a good reason to lift the ban on jueteng, as there are also moral implications to consider.
Binay, who had expressed his preference to handle the Department of Interior and Local Government portfolio, said he does not want to speculate on what could have happened had Aquino given him the DILG portfolio. He also said Puno's offer to resign was Puno's "judgment call."
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga filed last Tuesday a measure proposing to legalize jueteng after the illegal numbers game gained the spotlight again.
“Its illegality does not prevent the people from betting. The imposition of penalties and stringent measures against jueteng do not deter the operators and kubradors [local bet collectors] from collecting and soliciting bets from the people," Barzaga said.
Because of this, the lawmaker said the government should tap the numbers game as a source of much-needed revenues for its local government units.
“Instead of revenues being used as payolas, protection money and earnings of the gambling lords, the local government unit could get funds from the operation of the numbers game," said the congressman. — LBG/RSJ,
