i agree with conrado de quiros. the only way to deal with jueteng is is to legalize it.
i know, i know, many of you out there believe that jueteng is bad, it’s immoral, the poor waste their time and money on games of luck when they could be making sariling sikap (yeah likeplanting kamote) to lift themselves from poverty, and besides most jueteng profits fund patronage politics, so jueteng contributes to corruption big time, every greedy one is on the take, be it mayor or governor, police or military, congressman or senator, or president even, as we all know firsthand from erap’s impeachment trial, and what about the jose pidal senate hearings, buking na buking, the huge bribes can make it all the way to the top, grabe, so let’s do away with jueteng, yada yada….
but that’s the line mismo of the notorious anti-jueteng archbishop oscar cruz, the same archbishop cruz who condemns not just artificial contraception but even natural family planning (that advises against sex during ovulation) because it’s “inimical to the health.” ano daw? so he’s all for women having sex during ovulation, never mind if they can’t afford big families? why do we listen to him at all?
the archbishop likes to say that jueteng draws are rigged, the poor are being cheated, walang yumayaman kundi ang jueteng lords and their bribees. well, that’s not the fault of the poor who play, di ba? and this is where nga legalizing it would benefit the poor. legalizing means regulating means minimizing the cheating. meanwhile, malamang nga na some if not most draws are rigged, but i would think it’s more the exception than the rule, because the poor are not dumb, they have their own intelligence networks, and they wouldn’t continue to play if they never win or don’t win reasonably often enough.
also the archbishop speaks against gambling as if it were a sin. meron na bang 11th commandment na thou shalt not gamble? thou shalt not play games of luck? but why? where’s the harm? not everyone likes to gamble but that doesn’t make it harmful for those who do. all the negatives attached to gambling — such as losing money that could feed clothe and shelter family or driving one to steal or sell drugs to get the money to gamble — are extremes: why penalize all for the sins of a few?
twisted, di ba. and why blame the poor, why penalize the poor, for the corruption of the jueteng lords and of the government officials who protect them? why even think of depriving the poor of jueteng, the one game of luck they can afford to play and be thrilled by (one peso can win seven hundred, home service pa) that along with sex and alcohol make their miserable lives bearable, when the problem lies not with them but with the jueteng lords and their corrupt connections in government?
let’s face it, except temporarily and only in small areas at a time, there’s no wiping out jueteng. the challenge is how to legalize it so that a reasonable share of the profits go not into the pockets of crooked officials but are plowed back instead to pump-prime the economy and uplift the well-being of conditions of poor communities. what would it take? well, certainly not a government that’s intimidated by men in skirts.
Angela,
Jueteng lords are the biggest opponents of legalization because legalization will mean regulation and taxes. The most compelling reason for jueteng lords is they are in a business where they make their own rules.
Legalizing jueteng will only shift the corruption from its present beneficiaries to regulators and BIR agents.
You can stop jueteng by making it unprofitable. Hit one lord at a time make an example out of him, bust him for even the slightest misdemeanors every time he leaves his house. The police can make life hell for a guy like Bong Pineda and he is not going to get any sympathy. You don’t need the entire police force for it, a few brave and honest cops can do the job.
But that’s if you want to stop jueteng. Now if you don’t, then just let it be. Just announce that the police will not waste any more resources on something they cannot stop. That way, the corruption, the payola will stop because there’s no need for it anymore.
@ manuelbuencamino ;) hmm interesting. but even if the clean cops stop trying to stop it, the crooked cops would still be there, di ba. and the law that says it’s not legit would still be there to back them up. as for busting one lord at a time, they tried that na with bong pineda, but the courts let him go…. at least regulators and BIR agents are above ground?
angela, I don’t disagree with what you said except for the part that regulators and BIR agents are above ground. They will go underground, like cops and judges are doing now, once you give them jueteng to regulate and tax.
Like I said, jueteng lords will not go for regulation and taxes. See what they did to STL?
Are you getting the impression that Persi-Noy is making extra effort to be “good friends” with the military?
Look at the history of jueteng and among the beneficiaries of illegal jueteng are “uniformed’s” (not the soldiers but the higher-ups).
Then notice Persi-Noy even during the campaign making little mention of media- and human-rights killings. [Okay, the European Union ambassadors did have a photo-op with him, but Persi-Noy has not addressed the recommendations of UN rapporteur Alston about the need for better discipline in Pilipinas military in general, and the need to investigate Pinas military involvement in extrajudicial killings.]
And then, Trillanes :
———–
The order for review springs from Mr. Aquino’s campaign and oath of office, which is to “do justice to every man,” and nothing more, said Coloma, who is reportedly being eyed as the Communications Group’s media director.
“What is being done is to avoid a miscarriage of justice,” he said.
The President said he had ordered De Lima to review the cases against Trillanes in connection with the mutiny in 2003 and siege of the Manila Peninsula Hotel in 2007.
At Friday’s inaugural of the Philippine National Police’s training facility in the Subic Bay Freeport, Mr. Aquino said he thought the former Navy officer was a “victim of injustice.”
@UP nn grad ;) i suppose he has to make them ligaw, no, considering that most soldiers didn’t vote for him but for gibo… as for trillanes, kiko could use his vote in the senate… maybe even ping lacson will be surfacing soon, kulong kung kulong, basta makaboto rin for kiko… btw does anyone know why tito sotto is not voting for kiko, e di ba family sila?
it is easy to stop jueting if the DILG secretary is really true to his words..let the mayors /police chiefs accountable..if they cannot stop it fire them…no friends/no relatives
i totally agree. gambling’s been with us since time immemorial (not just in the philippines, but worldwide) and it seems foolhardy to think one administration (or a series) can eradicate it. remove it and another form will just take its place.
regulate it. tax it. and let more people benefit from it.
Well… you said that we dnt have the 11th commandment.. but do you think MISS or MR. that doing “sugal” is not a sin?? are you telling me that its ok to other to be “gahaman” in money just for them to play??? hmmm.. i dont think so that people will stop if they will not win.. or they will win.. because if they will not.. obviously.. they want to make “bawi” there money. and the only thing to do is to play again.. and if they will win.. they will play of course because they win eh… they think of the money to grow…