NEWSFLASH

TARLAC ERADICATES JUETENG

Tarlac City, May 30, 2000 - Tarlac was officially declared jueteng-free by the regional police chief Senior Superintendent Maximo M. Calimlim two days before the province celebrated its 127th founding day, on May 28.

"Effective this morning (May 26), jueteng is totally out in Tarlac," Calimlim announced in a meeting with the officers of the Tarlac Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI).

The elimination of jueteng, he said, had been ordered by someone "from the top" on pain of dismissal. "We were ordered to totally stop jueteng in our respective provinces or else we would be relieved."

All 18 towns will be monitored daily to deter even guerrilla-type jueteng operations, he said.

Governor Jose Yap had been striving for a jueteng-free province since his assumption to office. One of his first official acts was to issue Executive Order 98-15 banning jueteng operations and other forms of illegal gambling in the province.

He formed the Provincial Task Force on Illegal Activities headed by former municipal councilor Paulino Rigor to go after illegal gambling operators in the province.