Jueteng to remain illegal under Aquino — spokesman

The fate of the government-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is still uncertain, but the Aquino administration will definitely not legalize illegal gambling games like jueteng, Malacañang said Monday. At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said all illegal forms of gambling would stay forbidden by law under President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "Yung jueteng na bawal, illegal, he will not agree to [the legalization of] that," said Lacierda after Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz urged President Aquino to clarify his policy on gambling. It was jueteng, a multi-million numbers game, which led to the downfall of former President Joseph Estrada, who sought re-election but lost to President Aquino in the recent elections. Estrada, in 2000, was accused of receiving millions worth of kickbacks from jueteng operators — an allegation he repeatedly denied. After being detained for six years, he was convicted of plunder in September 2007, but was given presidential pardon a month later. Lacierda said President Aquino, a Catholic, is against all forms of illegal gambling. "He (Aquino) frowns on jueteng, he frowns on illegal gambling. As to the status and what he intends to do with Pagcor, that is a separate matter," said Lacierda, pointing out that the Pagcor is a revenue-generating agency. President Aquino recently named Cristino Naguiat as head of Pagcor. The post was previously held by Efraim Genuino who resigned even before Aquino could review the validity of the extension of his term. Lacierda said Naguiat was able to stop P26 million in supposedly illegal disbursements at the Pagcor, but could not provide more details, saying it was Naguiat who should expound on the issue. President Aquino had said before his June 30 inauguration that he had turned down the offer of an alleged gambling lord, whom he did not identify, to fund his presidential campaign. - Jam L. Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV