PART OF SUBCULTURE IN A SEMI-FEUDAL SOCIETY. SP Members El Cid Familiaran’s proposal to legalize the numbers game in the form of jai alai operation in Bacolod City, has, of course, stirred the hornet’s nest, because it is beyond the normal. Beyond the normal because what is normal now and since years ago, is the government-approved PAGCOR Casino, Small Town Lottery and the Lotto, which operates nationwide, except for PAGCOR which is operating in fewer areas, but which we believe earns more income for the government than other legally-approved numbers games.
Another numbers game if one can call it that is bingo which is operated by private individuals, a very good example being now Congressman Albee Benitez, who cannot but be considered a billionaire because his gross earnings happen to be in the billions of pesos yearly. Now, jai alai and jueteng or what it is called in other areas of the country, is illegal, mainly because it does not have permit from the state. SO MANY JAI ALAI OPERATIONS IN BACOLOD CITY. In spite of the apparent illegality of the numbers game, jai alai in Bacolod City, has flourished according to highly-reliable sources, with an already 11 operators of the game, with their own grassroots network of bet collectors and coordinators. Since it is supposed to be illegal, the police makes the motion of apprehending bet collectors but other operators swear that they target only those who are not within the circle of ‘protected operators’ including that of a topranking city government official whom their detractors say have been in the business of accumulating personal cash for, of course, his own personal benefit. Fortunately for Bacolodnons, the government which is supposed to cater to their very interest, is, instead used to protect the interest of those involved in the illegal numbers game. The sources said that Small Town Lottery is operating legally in Silay City and also in Bacolod City which has become a convenient front for jai alai operations which, as a Senate Investigation Committee Probe said is franchised under the name of a close loyalist of then First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo, husband of the former President. In Bacolod City, STL, as a front for jai alai in its operations has established links with the topranking city government official who rakes in millions of pesos monthly. The other "pecky" jai alai operators are being destabilized by frequent police arrests because they prove to be competitors to Bacolod City officials who are deep into the numbers game, legal or illegal. Many traditional political leaders using their people, also want in because the network one establishes when he is into the numbers game, prove very handy during election time as one would earn income to bankroll his political base and to establish his political network in the barangay level. JAI ALAI OPERATIONS PROLIFERATING. And one is surprised because the present administration appears to be ‘wishy-washy’ in its effort to stop the operations of the illegal numbers game when opponents during the period then PGMA held sway were successful to some extent in minimizing jai alai or jueteng operations, more so on the local level in Bacolod and in Negros Occ. Province.* (continued) Negros Daily Bulletin
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