Vizcaya, Isabela officials support small-town lottery

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela officials expressed support for the government-sanctioned small-town lottery (STL) in their respective provinces despite opposition to the numbers game elsewhere in the country.

In this landlocked province where jueteng could hardly thrive due to the local Church’s fierce opposition to it, the local mayors’ league endorsed yesterday the entry of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office-supervised lottery.

According to the mayors’ league, STL could generate additional revenue for their municipalities, besides the jobs it would generate for hundreds of former jueteng workers displaced by the government’s crackdown on the illegal numbers game.

"We support (STL) because it will help us generate taxes, (give jobs to) our displaced jueteng workers and also stop the illegal numbers game," said Bambang Mayor Pepito Balgos, who chairs the province’s league of municipalities.

Balgos said the 15-member provincial mayors’ league would come up with a resolution endorsing STL.

Besides Balgos, the other mayors who have signed the endorsement are John Severino Bagasao of this capital town, Florante Gerdan (Santa Fe), Jesus Bareng (Dupax del Norte), Romeo Magaway (Dupax del Sur), Segundino Supnet (Quezon), and Tony Dupiano (Kayapa).

Balgos said majority of those who have yet to sign have nevertheless signified their support for STL.

He said local officials like him are pinning their hopes on the national government’s effort to legalize jueteng to help displaced workers of the illegal numbers game and generate additional revenues for various development projects.

In neighboring Isabela, meanwhile, the provincial board is also set to come up with a resolution supporting STL operations in the province.

Isabela Vice Gov. Ramon Reyes said that aside from generating additional income for local governments, the legalized lottery would definitely stop the culture of bribery which jueteng had created.