Robredo Eyes Hometown Naga City for Improved STL

MANILA, Sept. 23 (PNA) - Acting Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said Thursday he is eyeing his hometown Naga City, Camarines Sur as a pilot test area for the new and improved Small Town Lottery (STL).

He told reporters he already submitted recommendations to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on how to strengthen STL operations, which the government has been promoting as an alternative to "jueteng," an illegal numbers game.

Robredo said he will submit to Malacañang a "game plan" against the popular illegal numbers game jueteng in the coming days following revelations by a retired bishop that some officials in the Aquino government are receiving monthly payola from it.

Robredo said this during the launch of the Kaya Natin! (We Can Do It!) Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership on Thursday at the DILG Central Office in Diliman, Quezon City.

He did it after Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a staunch anti-gambling crusader, exposed several officials in the Aquino administration are protecting jueteng operators and receiving at least P2 million from them every month.

The disclosure also prompted President Benigno C. Aquino III to order Robredo to craft a comprehensive plan against jueteng.

Robredo proposed that the STL should be operated by PCSO following the traditional methodology of jueteng operations; the minimum prize money will be equivalent to the jueteng winnings; monitoring of actual STL gross sales; and amendment of the STL charity fund percentage sharing scheme. (PNA)