Pubdate: Mon, 19 Sep 2005
Source: People's Journal (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 People's Journal
Contact: http://www.journal.com.ph/contactus.asp
Website: http://www.journal.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3381
Author: Efren Montano
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

HAGEDORN: DISPLACED JUETENG WORKERS MAY RESORT TO DRUGS

Anti-Jueteng Task Force czar Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn
yesterday feared that jueteng lords and workers, notably kabos and
kubrabors, could resort to drugs, breeding resurgence of petty crimes
and other street crimes,

Hagedorn also said he is quitting the jueteng task force to avoid
legal impediments that may arise owing to his position as head of a
local government.

But the Puerto Princesa mayor expressed apprehension over the
predicament of about 200,000 kabos and kubradors who would be
displaced after jueteng operations had stopped.

He said that for lack of livelihood opportunities, kubradors and
jueteng lords could take other source of income like resorting to the
drug trade,

The crime incidents including petty crimes among those affected by the
drive against jueteng could rise up owing to the hard times.

Hagedorn said that these kubradors including their dependents
numbering about 800,000 would feel the brunt of the difficult times
since they would be rendered jobless.

He also bared that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)
should start to operate another alternative and legitimate numbers
game like the small-town lottery (STL) which will absorb the hundred
of thousands of jueteng workers who would be displaced.

He estimates that the STL would generate up to P10 billion in a year
of operation.

But he cautioned that government supervision via the PCSO is needed so
that it would not be eaten up by jueteng.

Hagedorn said that PCSO's EZ-2 or the two-digit lottery have already
absorbed several of the kubradors but it is not enough.
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