General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), warned yesterday all municipal police chiefs, particularly in Luzon, that they will immediately be sacked from their posts if ‘jueteng’ operations would thrive anew in their respective areas.
“We have a standing directive that we call one-strike policy on illegal gambling. This will be used in case of jueteng resurgence,” said Albayalde.
The PNP leadership earlier said that jueteng resurgence is possible after President Duterte ordered on Friday the suspension of lotto, Small-Town Lottery (STL) and other games licensed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) due to massive corruption.
A day after Duterte declared that all PCSO games were illegal, Albayalde said they already monitored jueteng operators mobilizing manpower for the operations of the illegal numbers game in two provinces in Central Luzon.
He said that he had already ordered all the police provincial and regional directors to intensify intelligence-gathering against jueteng in Luzon.
“As of now, we have not monitored resumption of illegal jueteng operations. But just the same, I have already directed all regional directors to monitor this just in case,” said Albayalde.
He said his order comes with a warning.
“If an anti-jueteng operation is successful in one particular municipality or area through arrests, the chief of police or the station commanders will be made answerable,” said Albayalde.
Under one-strike policy, the chief of police, precinct commanders and stations commanders is immediately relieved of his post if jueteng operations conducted by Regional Office or Camp Crame-based police units are successful.
If three chiefs of police are sacked due to jueteng operations, the provincial director will be relieved.
The one-strike policy on jueteng was implemented during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo in an attempt to stop the culture of corruption of police using jueteng money.
But while the PNP denies the existence of rampant jueteng operations, President Duterte says otherwise.
Last month, President Duterte said that jueteng is a lesser evil compared to illegal drugs which was misconstrued that he tolerates jueteng operations while the police are busy on his drug war.
“Maski sinong Presidente ilagay mo dito, for as long as the economy does not really provide food on the table for so many families, hayaan mo na lang ‘yan (jueteng). At least ang pera doon… Kasi hindi ko talaga rin kaya. At pagka sinira ko ‘yan, ang papalit sa apparatus niyan droga. So choose between the lesser evil,” Duterte was quoted saying.
Past police intelligence reports revealed that the STL is being used by jueteng operators as front to cover their illegal activities. The STL, it was recalled, was allowed to operate to kill jueteng.
A number of police commanders have already lodged complaint in the past that they and their men would end up being harassed by jueteng operators through administrative and criminal charges whenever they would conduct anti-jueteng operations since jueteng bet collectors they would arrest would suddenly have STL identification cards – making their arrest illegal. (Aaron Recuenco)