Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya—Mayor Johnny Sevillena has identified Boy Aleta as the person behind the operations in the town of the Globaltech Peryahan ng Bayan, which has been tagged by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as a front for the illegal numbers game “jueteng.”
“Boy Aleta came to my office sometime in the last week of February and showed me copies of the Court of Appeals decision,” Sevillena told Manila Standard, referring to PCSO’s ongoing court battle with Globaltech, which had been licensed by the state firm to operate its Small Town Lottery but had been disqualified after not remitting its proper franchise fees to the government.
“(Aleta) asked me if I would let them operate here. I refused him because he can’t show me documents coming from PCSO authorizing them to operate. That’s why I refused Globaltech permit to conduct business in Bagabag,” the mayor added.
As early as 2005, Bishop Ramon Villena, who is now the bishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong, had tagged Aleta along with a certain Michael Borja and Alex Mauricio as jueteng operators in his episcopal jurisdiction.
The Standard could not reach Aleta for comment as of press time.
Sevillena spoke in light of reports that Globaltech was conducting its hidden STL or jueteng draw in Barangay Pogonsino in Bagabag, with the local chief executive supposedly behind the jueteng operations.
Apart from denying his role in the illegal numbers game, Sevillena added that Globaltech was renting a house and lot near a piggery the mayor owned in Sulsul village, “and two cabos (bankers) from [the legal PCSO] STL had been doing double jobs with Globaltech.”
“As of my knowledge, its’ Mayor Ralph Lantion of Bayombong town who had issued Globaltech business permits, that’s why their office is located in Bayombong,” he said.
Sevillena said six fellow mayors had called him and asked if it’s legal to let Globaltech operate in their municipalities — Mayor Tim Cayton of Dupax del Norte, Norma Miguel of Diadi, Atty. (Ronelie) Valtoribio of Villaverde, and others from Kayapa (John D. Balasya) and Ambaguio (Arnold Pinkihan Dinungon).
“I told them as Mayors League President of Nueva Vizcaya that they should not let Globaltech operate. They should wait for PCSO to come to their offices for proper guidance,” Sevillena said.
The Bagabag mayor had been accused of being behind the local jueteng guerilla operation colloquially termed as “gangfu,” which changes its secret draw center every other day, and sometimes conducts a midday draw inside a running ambulance with wailing sirens along the highways of Nueva Vizcaya, sources told the Standard.