MANILA, July 21, 2017–Anti-gambling crusader Archbishop Oscar Cruz is hoping President Rodrigo Duterte would make good his promise to get rid the country of “jueteng” and other forms of illegal gambling.
The founder of the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng said Filipinos have yet to see the Duterte administration’s fight against the multi-million peso underground lottery.
“We’re waiting for him to fulfill his promise to end illegal gambling. It hasn’t begun, so to speak,” Cruz said over Radio Veritas.
The archbishop reiterated that gambling, legal or illegal, must be discouraged from spreading because it’s a vice.
Jueteng and other illegal numbers racket, he said, exploits the poor because with their hard-earned money, they are lured by the easy money that gambling promises.
He also said that gambling may be related to other crimes like illegal drugs and asked the authorities to look into it.
“This gambling is the source of many problems and will not bring any good to the people,” Cruz said.
Aside from jueteng, he said there are at least 41 other kinds of illegal gambling in the country and these will not flourish without any protection from the police and public officials.
“I hope I’m wrong but it’s impossible for illegal gambling to flourish without the knowledge of officials,” he said. CBCPNews – Maria Katreena L. Saguid, UST Intern)
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