How much this time?

The Holy Week is over and the province is witnessing the resurrection of another kind, the evil kind.

Jueteng is back in Pangasinan, particularly in the third and sixth districts.  And curiously, Chief PNP Arturo Lomibao, he who declared that jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling will never resurrect under his watch, is eerily quiet.

In this cat-and-mouse game of jueteng, it is public knowledge that nothing ever moves without the blessings of the mayor, the chief of police, the provincial and regional PNP directors, and the congressman, and yes, the governor. And going by the testimony of Boy Mayor, a key witness in the senate investigations, nobody can be allowed to operate unless authorized by “prominent relatives.” 

As Archbishop Oscar Cruz correctly summed it, “Something downright illegal as jueteng cannot have such a special public status in the country if it is not a privileged, promoted and protected illegal activity. Such an enviable distinction could only be conferred by public authority itself.”

At  presstime, reports reaching the  PUNCH indicate that jueteng cobradores have already been making  their rounds in Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, San Carlos and Bayambang in the third district; and Tayug San Quintin, San Nicolas, Umingan and Sta Maria in the sixth district.          

Hence, from all indications, the green-and-go signal for the resumption of jueteng in the province has been given in spite of the vaunted statement of President Gloria Arroyo at the height of the senate investigations on jueteng that she will never allow jueteng to flourish. In fact, she declared an all-out-war if only to impress upon the nation that her husband Mike and son Mikey were never involved in the operation of jueteng, that never raked in millions from jueteng. 

Given what is happening, who’s going to believe her now? Who’s going to believe Mr. Lomibao, his region 1 director and Pangasinan provincial director, and town chiefs?

One can imagine how much is quoted in monthly payolas this time for them, the congressmen and the mayors? It’d be interesting to know if the monthly payolas allocated for such officials have in fact doubled to enable them to cope with the rising prices of oil.  

And even more interesting, how much is siphoned to the “prominent relatives”?

The reader’s guess is as good as ours.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments