MANILA, Philippines -- If you can't beat them, join them.
That seems to be the idea of a Philippine congressman who has renewed calls to legalize jueteng, an illegal numbers game popular in many provinces in this Southeast Asian nation.
Manila Congressman Amado Bagatsing has introduced to the Philippine Congress House Bill 3248 which calls for the legalization of jueteng. If the numbers game becomes a legal game of chance, it can be regulated and be taxed. Previous versions of this bill have not progressed in Congress.
According to Bagatsing:
"It's high time to legalize it so government can raise revenues to support its many socio-economic and livelihood programs, incluidng infrastructure for education and health."
He further added that by legalizing jueteng, not only will government be able to add to its coffers but it will also provide jueteng operators and collectors with legitimate work and help stamp out corruption as the current operations of jueteng in towns and provinces are allegedly in cahoots with local officials.
The congressman from the 5th district of Manila and who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Games and Amusement further added that jueteng continues to proliferate despite repeated attempts by government to quash it because it is quite popular and affordable to the poor.
"The lure of quick money is its strongest appeal. While jueteng continues to be a lucrative source of livelihood for collectors and operators, government never earned a single cent, and instead spent public money trying to kill it.
