Anti-gambling crusaders to submit list of jueteng operators

Anti-gambling crusaders are ready to hand over to the Aquino government a list of some 30 alleged operators of the popular illegal numbers game “jueteng." Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz says his group will give the list to new Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. “We will give him the list with all the names so he’ll know who these people are," Cruz, who heads the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng (KBLJ), said in an article posted Tuesday night on the Union of Catholic Asian News website. Cruz earlier voiced full support for Robredo, a former Naga City mayor, who had vowed to stop jueteng. Cruz did not yet divulge the names of the alleged jueteng operators but said “what I know is what my peers tell me. I really don’t have direct knowledge but if necessary we will release it." He adds KBLJ will help Robredo fight jueteng by monitoring gambling operations in the provinces. “We have people in different dioceses all over the Philippines who help us with monitoring," he says. He also says the crusaders plan to conduct seminars to educate people on the problems created by the illegal numbers game. “We will support the new secretary in whatever way we can," Cruz says. Earlier, former President Joseph Estrada said it would be better for the government to legalize jueteng because previous administrations failed to eradicate it. Jueteng was the cause of the downfall of Estrada, who was convicted of the crime of plunder for receiving protection money from jueteng operators. In October 2000, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson accused Estrada, his longtime friend, of being the "lord of all jueteng lords" for allegedly receiving 5 million pesos in jueteng protection money every month during his presidency. Public anger over corruption allegations against Estrada eventually led to the EDSA Revolution of 2001, also known as EDSA Dos or the Second People Power Revolution, the four-day revolution that peacefully overthrew Estrada on July 20, 2001. –VVP, GMANews.TV