LINGAYEN–“Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

This, according to Governor Amada Espino Jr., is the Catch 22 he finds himself in on the issue of jueteng, which he described as a social cancer.

Espino, reacting to a ‘failing mark’ given him by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz for his failure to stop the illegal numbers game in the province, admitted that he has not launched anintensive campaign against jueteng and is leaving the task to the police.

The governor, speaking during a press conference last week, said his seemingly pallid policy partly stems from his view that jueteng provides employment, citing the dependence of some 50,000 families in the province on jueteng for livelihood.

He said that some mayors have actually asked him not to take a hard stance against jueteng since they cannot provide other means for those who will lose their jobs in jueteng.

Meanwhile, P/Sr. Supt. Percival Barba, police provincial director, confirmed there are no longer big-time jueteng operators in Pangasinan and no mayor is at the beck and call of big time gambling operators.

While some board members have come to the defense of Espino, Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. pointed out that Cruz’ words must serve as a wake up call to address jueteng.

Cruz, for his part, declined to comment further.

Cruz, who heads the ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, earlier admitted his crusade against jueteng has failed and attributed this partly to the influence of jueteng money on local and national officials.#

Baraan defends boss

Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan also came to the defense of the governor.

Baraan gave lavished praises on Espino, citing how the latter has steered the province towards visible progress over the last 19 months.

“No past governor can probably match the kind of passion, the zeal and the hard work that Gov. Espino has exerted to accomplish landmark infrastructures and introduce cultural trans-formation within one year and seven months,” said Baraan.

Baraan cited the governor’s achievements i.e., the transformation of the13-hectare provincial capitol complex into a tourism facility, the system improvements to make business transactions more convenient for the public, renovation of dilapidated hospitals and decrepit agricultural facilities.

He pointed out that big-time jueteng operators who have been siphoning out of the province millions in bets have also been neutralized, leaving behind local “guerilla players” taking the risk of raids and arrests.

He said these small groups will also soon be dismantled with the cooperation of the mayors

“I had served two previous administrations, but it’s only now that the provincial leadership is instituting reforms never before imagined,” Baraan said.

Baraan was provincial development and planning officer under Gov. Aguedo Agbayani and served as executive director of the Pangasinan Provincial Development Foundation, Inc. (PPDFI) during the term of Gov. Rafael Colet.—LM

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