14 September 2005
STL same as jueteng, bishop Cruz declares
ARCHBISHOP Oscar V. Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese expressed his vigorous opposition to the revival of small town lottery (STL) which was proposed by city and municipal mayors as a substitute for the illegal numbers game called “jueteng”.
Meeting in Palawan for an anti-jueteng summit, the mayors spearheaded by Palawan City Mayor and national anti-jueteng czar Edward Hagedorn proposed the revival of the STL as a substitute for jueteng.
Cruz, the country’s number one critic of jueteng, however describes STL as the same as the “corrupt and corrupting numbers game called jueteng”, saying this was already tried before and proved to be a big failure.
The STL was introduced in various parts of the country during the administration of former President Corazon C. Aquino but it did not succeed in dislodging jueteng which was already popular in many parts of the country. Noting reports that there is now an effort to perfect STL, Cruz said those who thought of this underestimate the vicious ingenuity of seasoned gambling moguls and their cohorts.
In opposing the introduction of STL as a substitute for jueteng, the prelate recalled a statement of Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye thus: “There is enough gambling in the country”.
He said Bunye must have noted the corruption and wickedness brought about by gambling and must have also felt that gambling strongly cultivates indolence and dishonesty.
Agreeing with that statement, Cruz cited the casinos being administered by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) designed for the wealthy and influential people and lotto and bingo for the middle class with money to throw away and the time to lose.
He said there are also jueteng , masiao and other illegal number games for the poor and destitute.
Meeting in Palawan for an anti-jueteng summit, the mayors spearheaded by Palawan City Mayor and national anti-jueteng czar Edward Hagedorn proposed the revival of the STL as a substitute for jueteng.
Cruz, the country’s number one critic of jueteng, however describes STL as the same as the “corrupt and corrupting numbers game called jueteng”, saying this was already tried before and proved to be a big failure.
The STL was introduced in various parts of the country during the administration of former President Corazon C. Aquino but it did not succeed in dislodging jueteng which was already popular in many parts of the country. Noting reports that there is now an effort to perfect STL, Cruz said those who thought of this underestimate the vicious ingenuity of seasoned gambling moguls and their cohorts.
In opposing the introduction of STL as a substitute for jueteng, the prelate recalled a statement of Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye thus: “There is enough gambling in the country”.
He said Bunye must have noted the corruption and wickedness brought about by gambling and must have also felt that gambling strongly cultivates indolence and dishonesty.
Agreeing with that statement, Cruz cited the casinos being administered by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) designed for the wealthy and influential people and lotto and bingo for the middle class with money to throw away and the time to lose.
He said there are also jueteng , masiao and other illegal number games for the poor and destitute.
