NBI finds ‘jueteng’ tough nut to crack in Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has stepped in to help the police stop the resurgence of the illegal numbers racket “jueteng” in Pangasinan but the NBI teams tasked with the job are finding it difficult to arrest people behind the operations due to advanced information given to them about government raids.

“Teams from the NBI Manila are having a difficult time. Malayo pa ang team, alam na na may raid. Isang text lang nai-inform na ang mga jueteng personnel (While the team is on its way, jueteng personnel already know about the raid. They are informed about government operations with just one text message),” said lawyer Rogelio Mamauag, chief of the NBI in Dagupan City.

The NBI, he said, is monitoring the resurgence of jueteng operations in various provinces, including Pangasinan, on the request of officials of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.

He said the NBI helps in monitoring illegal gambling in Pangasinan, where jueteng “stops, and then resurges, then stops.”

But keeping towns jueteng-free should be the concern of the local police, said Mamauag. He said the NBI teams coordinate their operations with local police officials.

“Anti-illegal gambling operations are not our only concern. We have more pressing matters on our hand. Remember that these operations are dangerous and expensive and our budget is not enough. But we have to comply with the directive,” he said.

Senior Supt. Rosueto Ricaforte, Pangasinan police director, said the recent raids conducted by the NBI arrested only jueteng bet collectors.

“We do not know where the bet collectors are bringing the money. We do not want to speculate,” he said.

“It is these guerrilla operations that the different agencies are going after,” he said.

The town of Sto. Tomas was one of the areas raided by the NBI agents, but police there denied the existence of jueteng. <strong><em>Inquirer Northern Luzon</em></strong>