Catholic Bishop Bashes Gambling Problems

An illegal numbers game called "Jueteng" is causing problems that Catholic Bishop Ramon Villena called to stop in a recent radio broadcast. The Bishop was using a platform from the Church owned radio station to call on officials to stop the corruption that allegedly is running rampant in city police stations, with officers being involved in one form or another in the numbers game.

Bishop Villena named Jojo Casabar and Joe Aleta from Santiago City as two officers allegedly engaged in jueteng. Officers have been spotted in the last two years either running operations for jueteng or being paid hush money, sometimes money they themselves demand from the jueteng operators and players alike. The Bayombong officials have been under fire since the 2004 when provincial police director Romeo Hilomen was removed because of the gambling problems.