EDITORIAL - Another campaign vs. jueteng

Since the move to legalize jueteng has not gathered steam, law enforcement and local government officials made a show of resolve last week to eradicate the illegal numbers game. Jueteng is one of the reasons deposed President Joseph Estrada is being held without bail; he stands accused of accepting kickbacks from illegal gambling operations.

Every administration, however, has had its share of jueteng scandals. The only question, with the start of each new administration, is who among the relatives and friends of those in power will control jueteng collections. These days the opposition is saying jueteng is rampant in Central Luzon, particularly President Arroyo’s home province of Pampanga, and in the bailiwick of Luis "Chavit" Singson, the former governor of Ilocos Norte whose revelations about Estrada led to the latter’s impeachment and subsequent ouster from the presidency.

The accusations could be part of the reason the Department of the Interior and Local Government staged a "National Summit Against Illegal Gambling" last week at Camp Crame. Police officers themselves appeared skeptical about the summit. In recent years some police officers have admitted that jueteng finances many law enforcement operations across the country. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, however, promised to step down if his campaign amounts to nothing within a year.

Lina vowed to impose sanctions on police and local government officials who are found to be tolerating or protecting jueteng in their respective jurisdictions. He also said he would push for legislation that would give more teeth to laws against illegal gambling. The Philippine National Police, for its part, said 44 major jueteng operators nationwide have been identified.

The names of the 44 were not released, but many no doubt are the same ones identified in all those lists of suspected gambling lords that have been reported over the years. Some of these people have been arrested and indicted but none has ever been convicted. That should give you a good idea of where all anti-gambling campaigns end up in this country. Lina, however, appears resolute in his campaign and has put his neck on the line. We’ll give him a year and see if he can make a dent against illegal gambling.