MANILA, Philippines—Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said Tuesday that operations of the illegal-number games popularly called “jueteng” in Camarines Sur have been “totally” stopped.
Citing reports from Senior Superintendent Procopio Lipana, Camarines Sur police director, Robredo said jueteng operations in the province stopped since Wednesday when the local franchise holders of small town lottery have halted its operations.
“As per report submitted to me by Col. Lipana, all police station chiefs and anti-gambling operatives in Camarines Sur reported to him that STL operations in the province have stopped,” Robredo said.
He said Lipana has directed all chiefs of police and their men in the province to closely monitor any indication of jueteng operations within the province and to immediately conduct raids if needed be.
Robredo recently ordered the relief of police chiefs of Camarines Sur identified as Chief Inspector Benjamin Espana, Calabanga town chief of police; Chief Inspector Ely Compuesto Jr., Pili town chief of police; and Senior Inspector Victor Azuela, Bato town officer-in-charge chief of police, for their failure to stop the proliferation of jueteng in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
The relief orders were carried out based on the Philippine National Police’s “one-strike policy” that says officers will be relieved if they would be remiss in their duty to curb illegal gambling activities in their areas of responsibility.
Robredo, who is also the chairman of the National Police Commission said operatives of DILG’s Office of Internal Security arrested 51 people employed by the Evenchance Gaming Corp., an small town lottery franchise operator in Camarines Sur and Sorsogon, during the simultaneous raids in the towns of Calabanga, Pili, and Bato, lasy March 23.
As a result of the raids, Robredo said he would recommend to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office the cancellation of Evenchance Gaming Corp.’s franchise to operate in the Bicol Region for operating jueteng.
The gaming firm is believed to be being operated allegedly by individuals identified with suspected gambling lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda of Pampanga.
“The success of the anti-jueteng campaign in Camarines Sur clearly indicates that it can be done if local police officers and men [have the] will [to do] it. It should be a good example to all other provinces where jueteng and other forms illegal gambling operations exists,” Robredo said.