STL a legal cover-up for jueteng, says Lagdameo
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has renewed its call for the stopping of government backed Small Town Lottery (STL) which is already operating in various parts of the country including Iloilo City.
In a statement, CBCP president Msgr. Angel Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro, appealed to government officials as well as private individuals and corporate entities involved in STL operations to stop the said numbers game. (See full CBCP statement on page 3)
Lagdameo claimed, STL is another cause of corruption, another means of exploitation of the poor.
"The country has enough of these anti-social factors. Whatever economic development our government shall have proudly achieved will be diminished or negated by the corruption and exploitation that accompany STL and jueteng," said Lagdameo.
The prelate further claimed that STL is the legal cover-up for the illegal numbers game of jueteng. He said the endorsement of STL means the promotion of jueteng and that STL would not survive financially without jueteng behind it.
"In fact, we are told both STL and jueteng have the same operators and collectors, the same poor victims and the same influential wealthy beneficiaries. With STL and jueteng, our poor people become poorer while the gambling payola recipients become twice enriched. STL and jueteng together is legal and illegal gambling combined. They are a dangerous and insidious pairing," Lagdameo said.
The archbishop further pointed that with the government's adoption of STL it would be "next to impossible to stop jueteng."
But an incorporator of Iloilo Small Town Lottery and Gaming Corporation (ISTLGC) who spoke on condition of anonymity said there is no truth to the claim of Lagdameo that STL is the legal cover-up for jueteng.
The source said it is the government-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) which supervises the operation of STL.
"STL was even legalized in order to curb jueteng," the source said.
The source added, here in Iloilo City they have even expelled bet collectors who use STL draws in their jueteng rackets.
The source said they are encouraging bettors to place their bets on legitimate STL coredores who were issued with official identification cards.
STL started operating in Iloilo City in the middle of October 2006 after it got favorable endorsement from the City Council.
On the other hand, the Iloilo provincial government vowed to block the entry of STL in the municipalities.