STL paves way
for jueteng return

When small town lottery was introduced in Luzon, it was feared that it would pave the way for the return of jueteng. And it really did. Many were arrested by the police in San Fernando, Pampanga and in Olongapo City in Zambales carrying STL paraphernalia but collecting bets for jueteng.

We are happy STL has not set foot here in West Visayas. Let us work hard to stop its entry here.

The manner in which government designed the operation of STL is actually like jueteng. And worse one's chance of winning in STL is much less because in jueteng there are 37 numbers, in STL there are 40 numbers.

***

When Puerto Princesa mayor Edward Hagedorn was asked to make a design for the STL operations, he designed it to be operated by the local government under the governor for the entire province and under the mayor if city or municipality-wide. And to ensure that the operation is very transparent, the draw must be made in the public plaza before the public, where the total bets should be announced.

But Malacañang changed this and shoved Hagedorn aside, and gave it to DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Malacanang Chief of Staff Mike Defensor.

Overnight, the operation changed. STL is now to be operated by franchises and the latest news was that Bong Pineda, well known jueteng operator, has cornered a big number of franchises in Luzon.

***

It is understood when the operation of STL is to be given to a private person through a franchise, big money will change hands. And the franchise operator will be paying big amounts to the one who gave the franchise.

This means the operator will cheat in order to give to the benefactor. In the STL as conceived by Hagedorn, there is no money that goes under the table.

All income, after paying the collectors and personnel, goes to the government.

***

I am in favor of the Charter Change through people's initiative. People's initiative is good but it has dangers. What will stop future leaders from using "people's initiative" to promote his agenda? But, this time, I would go for people's initiative because of the opposition of some people, based only on their personal reasons and not on what will benefit of the country.

But people's initiative is just better than the referendum by President Marcos to ratify the 1971 Constitution.

At the Homesite where an assembly was called to ratify the 1971 Constitution, then Councilor Bert Drilon asked how many of us wanted a good government.

Very many raised their hands. Bert said, take that picture.

There were many questions but were just ignored.

***

I am happy to learn my favorite cardiologists Ernie Namin is going home after having undergone surgery. Yes, doctors also get sick. Although in the case of Dr. Namin, I was told, this is the second time he has been hospitalized, the first time being during his student days.

He was in Room 202 of Riverside and I was at Room 429 for some little rest under the care of my pulmonologist Dr. Luzviminda Ares. I called him up and he told me, in life there are "lessons to learn and I would like to share them with others."

He promised to write it down and I promised him I will publish it to share with our readers.

Ernie is 75. At 75, one must already be very careful. The sudden change of weather is bad for my asthma. But, I am lucky to have a good doctor for my asthma. I was told asthma is psychological.

This can be true because when I see Dr. Ares, I get relieved. But it's her prescriptions that cure.

***

As though the parliamentary system is already sure, in Manila there is already the guessing game on who will be the prime minister.

Will it be Speaker Jose de Venecia or DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno?

Elections are always the game of numbers. If it's the unicameral assembly that will vote, then de Venecia has the edge, Congress is his turf.

Whoever will be made Prime Minister is okay. The important thing is we must shift to the parliamentary form of government.

But, more important, there must be others matters in the Constitution that must be corrected, one of them is our being xenophobic, the fear of other nationals.

We can never take off without foreign investments. And foreign investors are very particular of the country's laws on foreign investments.

No foreign national can own land here. That's quite strange. In New York Times Square is owned by the Japanese. And many other nationals own many real estate property there.

We must hurry up the change of our Constitution. I look at the record of foreign investments going to Asian countries. We are there at the bottom. Even Indonesia is scoring better than we are.

Of course, we are no match to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The reason, they welcome and offer benefits to foreign capital.*

back to top