Estrada: Drive vs gambling includes ‘jueteng’

“Jueteng” is included in the all-out war against illegal gambling in Manila, Mayor Joseph Estrada clarified on Tuesday.

“I said ‘all other forms of illegal gambling,’ there’s no exception,” Estrada told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

While maintaining that jueteng should be legalized, the former President said: “In the meantime, it is still illegal so we should stop it.”

Estrada was reacting to an Inquirer article titled, “Erap: Illegal gambling out but not jueteng.” The story did not categorically say that Estrada excluded jueteng, only that he failed to specifically mention it in his speech as among the illegal forms of gambling he wanted outlawed.

During Monday’s command conference, Estrada declared a one-strike policy for police station commanders, saying they would immediately be relieved should illegal gambling activities be found in their area of responsibility.

Told that Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz had called on him to put a stop to jueteng, Estrada said: “Jueteng could be stopped but what’s the alternative livelihood for the 163,000 people who work as collectors?”

“They might resort to stealing or illegal drugs because a hungry stomach knows no law,” he said.

“Why are casinos legal but not jueteng? Why not go after casinos? Because it’s the rich who are gambling?” Estrada asked. Erika Sauler