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Polibiz

By Nelson C. Robles

STL is back

The government is contemplating to resurrect Small Town Lottery (STL) after its long years of slumber primarily to give employment to thousands of bet collectors who found themselves out of job since its death.

Honestly, I don't want to be judgmental by despising the people behind STL resurrection. Perhaps, there must be compulsive reason for its revival other than the financial returns it will give to the nation's coffers.

I remember, when I was a kid, before this so-called STL came into existence, I have known neighbors, and relatives as well, actively putting their bets in a jueteng. It was a common sight watching them every day, calling their favorite cubradors (bet collectors) to interpret their dreams a night before, figuratively speaking. They gave me the impression that numbers is their source of deliverance from poverty.

In the later years I came to realize that numbers represent the thing or act in their dreams. Hence, they bet according to the combination of numbers of their choice in three sets from number one up to thirty-nine. You can bet in single, or make it double, or triple, or as many as you want to, depending on how deep one's pocket is.

For the lucky winners they tend to change their lifestyle for the better after hitting a pot of gold at the end of the day. When before they only leave their fate on betting with a little word of prayer, with the prize money kept in their hands they now invest wisely on businesses. Call it God's intervention? I hope I do not sound blasphemous for mentioning the name of God in vain.

For the unlucky ones, they still continue hoping against hope that someday soon, lady luck may eventually knock at their doors to realize their elusive dream.

It is an acceptable fact that a lot of jueteng collectors in their respective communities were able to survive out of their commissions. Somehow it becomes their source of livelihood, sending their children to schools and keeping their empty stomachs away from aching. Putting it simply, it becomes their sustenance for daily survival.

It is an acceptable notion as well that operators/capitalists (defined: gambling lords) gained more than their hired cubradors -- but isn't that expected?

Whether we like it or not, gambling in any form is here to stay while the heron remains white and the crow black. To eradicate it completely is just like shooting a star from a million distant miles away with a slingshot.

With all honesty, Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr. remains consistently steadfast in his crusade against gambling. No amount of grease money, no matter how tempting the offer is could persuade Tupas to partake in this kind of activity. Proof is, part of his 9-Point Agenda is to eradicate all forms of illegal activities, specifically jueteng.

With the imminent revival of STL in the city and province of Iloilo, both public officials and private individuals vary in their reactions; some are favorable, others are antagonistic.

Iloilo City vice-mayor Guillermo "Guiling" Dela Llana publicly announced his partiality to the revival of STL in the city, if only to generate employment to a hundred if not thousands of his constituents.

Guiling reasoned out, utilizing these people as cubradors would be somehow extending financial help indirectly from the government rather than encouraging them to becoming parasites. In a sense you make them productive and useful members of our society who look down upon them if not cruelly treat them like a plague.

Mine is not to encourage propagation of gambling in our midst. But, on the other hand, I don't think religious sectors and other private entities for that matter would always be willing to embrace our less fortunate brothers in Christ with wide open arms in feeding them eternally. That is simply hypocrisy!

If STL can just be regulated properly by the national government I can see no reason for not making it lawful.

With due respect to others --- for STL to be back in Iloilo, then certainly happy days are here again...

(Send your comments and feedbacks to: roblesnelson@yahoo.com)