S i g n i s I n d i a

MANILA, July 13, 2010— Anti-gambling crusader Archbishop Oscar Cruz will hand over to the government a list of “jueteng” operators across the country.

Cruz said he will give the list of “big-time jueteng lords” to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo once he is able to meet him.

“We will give the list with all the names so he’ll know who these people are,” Cruz, founder of the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, told reporters Tuesday.

The retired archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan said there are about 30 names of identified operators of the illegal numbers game in various provinces.

“It increased over the years. Before it was just 14 but now it’s more than 30,” he said.

He, however, refused to identify anyone included in the list but vowed to reveal them in the proper forum.

Cruz also said that they are ready to share their monitoring system on jueteng operations in the country to the authorities if it is asked by Robredo.

Over the weekend, Robredo said he was given direct instructions by President Benigno Aquino III to stamp out jueteng.

Cruz also said the DILG chief should put premium on solving the jueteng problem in the provinces of Batangas, Pangasinan, and Pampanga, the province of former President Arroyo.

The outspoken prelate earlier said that jueteng has been active in Pampanga partly because of the support of the former administration, which Arroyo, now serving as representative of Pampanga’s 2nd district, denied.

Cruz said he believes that Robredo is the “right man for the right assignment” to finally eradicate jueteng operations in the country. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)