DAGUPAN CITY – Goodbye and hello jueteng. Welcome small town lottery (STL)!

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, head of the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, has recognized that jueteng operations in the country have   significantly been reduced, but only to give way to its legal version, the STL. 

“Jueteng is deliberately being stopped in order to introduce its twin under the cloak of legality which is STL,” Cruz said.

The ranking Catholic Church leader, who is also the country’s top anti-jueteng advocate, said no less than the head of the Philippine National Police, Director General Oscar Calderon, has admitted this.

The archbishop said the STL is a near-clone of jueteng, the former having 38 numbers while  whole jueteng has 37, and also uses the same jueteng collectors (aided by “papelitos”) for its network of agents and raffles in areas where a STL franchises operate.

And to make it more expedient for jueteng operators, Cruz pointed out that the required bond for the STL franchise has been reduced from P20 million to only P300,000.

In Pangasinan, Cruz said he believes that the illegal numbers game has been stopped, adding, “This is something that should be acknowledged.”

He also noted that jueteng is still active in several parts of Luzon.

STL’s mechanics are very similar to jueteng, although the former requires a franchise through   the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and a license from the local government.

Cruz said it is common knowledge that corporations that have secured franchises are mere dummy corporations of jueteng lords. — EVA

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