MANGALDAN–Tension is brewing between the mayor here and 26 of the 30 barangay chairmen over the rampant illegal gambling in the town despite past assurances by the town’s political leaders and police that these would not be tolerated.

The Liga ng mga Barangay, headed by Melchor de Guzman, barangay chairman of Buenlag, manifested the sentiments of their constituents by adopting a resolution on November 17 condemning “the unabated and rampant proliferation of such betting games as jueteng, ‘dropball’, video karera (ameneng) and other illegal games in the town.”

“As gathered from reliable sources, several instances happened where illegal and immoral negotiations were agreed (upon) between parties and some municipal authorities, particularly those which pertain to illegal gambling,” the resolution reads.

Mayor Herminio Romero issued a belated memorandum on November 24 directing Supt. Geraldo Roxas, chief of police, to “stop the operation of all forms of illegal gambling in Mangaldan”. This was the second memorandum he issued to Roxas on the same subject in less than a month.

Earlier, Romero, reacting to an item in Punchline last November 2 exposing the proliferation of illegal gambling in Mangaldan, had directed Roxas “to urgently act” since he will not allow illegal gambling in his town.

In his latest memorandum, Romero again wrote “We will not tolerate any illegal thoughts and acts to thrive in this advancing, very peaceful and very religious community”.

But the majority of the town’s barangay chairmen claim that illegal gambling activities continue to be “tolerated by the present local governance”.

At presstime, De Guzman told the PUNCH that a “gambling fair” (ostensibly for the town’s fiesta) continues to operate in front of the public market giving the lie to the mayor’s claim. De Guzman said the town’s fiesta is still 4 months away.

The barangay chairmen’s Resolution No. 10-2008, signed by 26 members, also confirmed that “illegal and immoral negotiations” took place involving “municipal authorities” in the operation of jueteng in Mangaldan.

In a press conference on Monday, Police Provincial Director Percival Barba said “there are no more big-time operators in Pangasinan,” adding that “the small ones that remain are difficult for the police to curb given the province’s geographical size.”

A copy of the resolution, moved by BC Guillermo Petilla of Talogtog, and duly seconded by all the barangay kapitans except Rogelio Dizon and Abraham de Asis, of Bantayan and Bari, respectively, was forwarded to Gov. Amado Espino Jr.

Certified by Liga Secretary Rodolfo Corla of Guesang, the resolution noted that illegal activities have “proliferated in the municipality, including within the territorial boundaries of the town’s 30 barangays” under the current administration in Mangaldan,

The Liga said the illegal games have corrupted townsfolk, “encouraging them to bet what little money they have for a chance to an easy cash, and increased the probability of student drop-outs among the youth.”

Meanwhile, jueteng operations around the province reportedly stopped on Monday, but immediately resumed in the afternoon of the next day.

Observers surmised that the one-day break from the illegal gambling operations could have been prompted by the renewed criticism of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz against jueteng.—LM

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