THE police and the barangay captains in Dagupan City vehemently denied that jueteng has resumed operations in the city just like the rest of Pangasinan.

Supt. Edgar Basbas, police chief here, branded as ridiculous the accusation leveled against his office that it is tolerating jueteng operation and maintained that there are no draws being held in any part of the city. He admitted, however, that jueteng kobradores collect bets here for draws outside the city.

Basbas spoke during a joint committee hearing conducted  by Councilors Alex De Venecia and Luis Samson Jr., chairs of the committees on Trade and Industry, on Peace and Order, respectively.

The two were joined by Councilors Michael Fernandez and Nicanor Aquino.

The barangay captains and the police were invited to shed light on the reports reaching the Sanggunian Panlungsod that jueteng is back in the city.

However, only 11 of the 31 barangay captains attended the hearing, namely from Poblacion Oeste, Carael, Tebeng, Salisay, Mangin, Calmay, Barangay IV, Lucao, Pantal, Mamalingling, and Barangay 1.

But a press release emanating from Councilor Alex de Venecia before deadline stated that “it was found out that jueteng is still active in the city.”

He said that three witnesses who attended the hearing confirmed this.

The three said that there are from one to three “kubrador” per barangay and jueteng draws are held two to three times a day.

Basbas said that PNP Dagupan does not have enough men to go after juetengeros, cobradors and operators, including jueteng lords.

The present barangay captains echoed Basbas’ statements denying there is jueteng operation in their respective areas and reiterated their pledge not to tolerate the underground lottery whatsoever.

They said they will continue monitoring to ensure that no jueteng bet collectors can enter their barangays.

However, Bing Biazon, president of the barangay health workers from Hererro- Perez, however, disputed the claim of Basbas and the 11 barangay captains that there is no jueteng in the city.

She said in her rounds of the city everyday, she regularly sees kubradores residing in the city collecting bets openly from the residents.

Basbas countered that though there are bet collectors seen in the city, their collections are being remitted to operators outside the city, and reported that his station has arrested four jueteng bet collectors.

He cited the general guidelines of PNP which enumerated the nine elements of jueteng operations. These include the presence of bet collectors, maintainer, operator, financier, money, gambling, lottery, results and winner.

He said all these elements must be present for any one to declare that there is a jueteng operation in a certain area.

De Venecia challenged the barangay captains to immediately identify the bet collectors in their areas and stop them in their illegal work and instead urge the latter to get help from the city government in the form of legal livelihood.

He also challenged Basbas to maintain the city as jueteng-free by not giving the jueteng operators a chance to enter the city. He reminded the police chief that the rampant collection of bets runs counter with the “Dagupan must be jueteng-free” streamers installed by Mayor Benjamin Lim around the city.

Meanwhile, all the 11 barangay captains submitted their position that jueteng must now be legalized as a solution. – AQL

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