Cruz's Crusade

Cruz: I'm not an unwitting 'jueteng' foe

Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
Inquirer News Service

DAGUPAN CITY -- Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he was not happy that his crusade against the illegal lottery "jueteng" was unwittingly helping the opposition's efforts to bring down the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

But Cruz said it was beyond his control if he or his crusade would be dragged into the political crisis.

He said it was not his problem if the political opposition was riding on his anti-jueteng crusade to attack the President.

"We have been against jueteng since 2001 and nobody minded us, especially the administration. Now that the jueteng issue has exploded, they say that we are destabilizers and antia-dministration, and that we are being used by the opposition," Cruz said.

"Even if the administration decides to use me, that is beyond my control. But I'm not letting myself be used. There's a difference between one who is unwittingly used and one who allows himself to be used," Cruz told the Inquirer in a telephone interview Tuesday.

He reiterated that his crusade was not meant to unseat Ms Arroyo because "whoever the President is [would be] immaterial to the crusade."

Cruz is the national chair of the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng [People's Crusade Against Illegal Lottery].

"Only jueteng is material to us. If there is no more jueteng during the Arroyo administration, we will stop [our campaign]. Our aim is to free the country from jueteng," he said.

Not with Lacson

He said he was not working with Sen. Panfilo Lacson in looking for or handling witnesses against the illegal numbers game.

"That is impossible. I have been the one taking care of the witnesses -- housing them, looking after their safety, asking for security for them, providing them food and accommodation," Cruz said.

He said a new witness with ties to the administration would surface but he declined to identify the person.

Cruz does not believe that the illegal numbers game will stop even if Ms Arroyo steps down from office. "It has been there long before she became president," he said.