MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Illegal gambling methods such as “jueteng” number gambling still exist in the country due to law enforcement problems, the chairman of the Philippine Bureau of Charity Contest (PCSO) in the House of Representatives said Tuesday. The Spanish Penal Code of 1887 provided for gambling bans, and in 1907 Jueteng was expressly declared illegal by the American colonial authorities in Law No. 1757. Therefore, jueteng has been banned in the country for a long time, but has existed for so long due to the demand of the people. However, there are legal alternatives for Filipinos, such as using trustworthy Filipino online casinos. A senior member of the House of Representatives has proposed legalizing “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game in the country, saying the government can use it to increase revenue. “It is high time to legalize it so that the government can generate more revenue to support its many socio-economic and livelihood programs, including infrastructure for education and health,” said Rep. Amado Bagatsing (5th District, Manila), author of House Bill 3248. Bagatsing, chairman of the House Gaming and Entertainment Committee, said illegal jueteng is a base-based gambling operation.

that crosses most, if not all, social and economic boundaries and is played by rich and poor alike. Bagatsing said jueteng is more prevalent in many areas such as central Luzon, South Tagalog, northern Luzon, Metro Manila, Bicol region, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Autonomous Region. “The lure of fast money is its strongest appeal. While jueteng continues to be a lucrative livelihood for collectors and traders, the government has never earned a single penny and instead spent public money to kill it,” Bagatsing said. By legalizing jueteng, the government would have the ability to regulate numbers gambling, which competes with legal games such as lotto and its variants and sweepstakes,” Bagatsing said. Bagatsing said the government has not been able to eradicate this unregulated form of gambling, precisely because of its popularity among the disadvantaged and middle class. Bagatsing cited The Unholy Nation, a book about Operation Jueteng in the Philippines, written by Tiffany Tan, which reveals how police departments and local politicians protect the operation of illegal numbers gambling in the country. “The collusion between the police and jueteng operators and the total disregard of those in power who profit from this illegal numbers game is one of the main reasons why jueteng continues to exist,” Bagatsing said. “Through legalization, the government can generate revenue whose revenues would fund government programs and projects, provide a legitimate livelihood for Jueteng workers, and eradicate corruption,” Bagasting said.

“I`m not saying I won`t act. I`m going to. But I am aware of the danger of what will develop after I arrest Jueteng,” the president said. Jueteng is officially illegal in the Philippines, although law enforcement is lax. [31] [35] The decentralized nature of the game and the multitude of operators make it difficult to eliminate. In some areas, the game is run by government officials. [27] Penalties for playing jueteng are officially set out in Republic Act 9287 (based on E.O. 1602); For the easy time, the sentence is only thirty to ninety days in jail. [29]: §3(a) Some, such as Judge Marvic Leonen, have questioned the wisdom of prosecuting jueteng bettors when other types of gambling, such as Filipino offshore gambling operators, are allowed to multiply freely. This selectivity has also been criticized for targeting the activities of the poor rather than the rich. [36] President Fidel V.

Ramos proposed legalizing it. [2] Corresponding bills have even been introduced in the Philippine Congress. [37] Thousands of Filipinos use jueteng as a source of income, whether climatic or working on jueteng farms. According to a 2010 report by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), more than 38 billion Philippine pesos were placed and managed by illegal jueteng games. The number of Philippine pesos circulating in illegal jueteng operations is expected to be much higher nearly 10 years later. “At least we are giving our compatriots the opportunity to have a clean and decent job that does not come from illegal means,” Balutan said. “The STL could be the president`s legacy to curb the illegal numbers game.” However, over the years, several critics of the STL have claimed that gambling is just a front for Jueteng who remains illegal. When the Philippines became an American colony, the government suppressed jueteng. [16] [17] In 1907, it was created by the Philippine colonial legislature by Act No. 1757.[4][18] Since independence, various administrations have continued to try different tactics to end the practice, without success.

[19] Jueteng existed even during martial law, but not as openly. [20] With the restoration of democracy, Jueteng networks grew rapidly and became important sources of political information and support up to the presidential level. The finances of these networks served as an alternative source of power for state institutions that were still favorable to the martial law era, replacing expenses that would have been incurred with party finances before martial law. This connection to power allowed the consolidation of local networks into provincial and regional networks. [21] The game is popular with many Filipinos, especially in poorer communities. Due to a low buy-in and the prospect of a relatively lucrative payout, it is attractive and is often considered a harmless pleasure. Individuals who collect bets, known as kubrador,[note 1] are often considered trusted members of local communities. Different Jueteng “Lords” play their own competing games. Cua explained that officials from the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (DILG) or even the president must make statements or even remind law enforcement of their mandate to stop illegal gambling like Jueteng.

It has been alleged that illegal jueteng games have also been organized through branches and employees of the PCSO. [3] The Audit Commission estimates that the corrupt practices of CSOs-STL cost the government a total of $14.9 billion in lost revenue in 2017 and 2018. [30] The Catholic Bishops` Conference of the Philippines has ruled against the STL. [47] One study estimates that one-third of all funds raised go to operators, and another third to bribes for police and politicians. [31] The Catholic Church in the Philippines admitted to receiving the game proceeds. [8] One of the proposed reasons for legalization was to eliminate repeated corruption scandals that highlighted the apparent inability of the ban to be enforced and the significant pressure on police resources created by the need to enforce it.