There's no stopping the impending invasion of jai alai, a game popular in the 50s, 70's and 80's, that gave rise to the illegal numbers racket known as “masiao”. So popular was its illegal derivative that while the Edsa Revolution succeeded in wiping it out, still masiao thrived even if the winning combination was already the product of manipulation by the racket's financiers. According to lawyer Angelo Santos of the law department of Meridien Vista Gaming Corp., franchise holder of the numbers game, applications for business permits were already in place in strategic towns like Jagna, Ubay, Carmen and Talibon.
CHATTO NOT IN FAVOR
Egged to react on jai alai's entry in Bohol, Gov. Edgar Chatto said personally he was not in favour of gambling per se, legal or illegal. Chatto said gambling weakened the moral fiber of the community and ushers in the erosion of family values. Citing that the youth was the most affected even with legalized gambling, Chatto pointed out that there are specific laws and rules which shall guide local governments as well as law enforcement agencies. “These laws must be strictly enforced in the fight against illegal gambling, drug trade and all forms of criminality” Chatto added.
BIG TOWNS
Even before the big towns welcomed the entry of jai-alai. Alburquerque Mayor Efren Tungol jumped the gun on potential operators in the towns. Mayor Tungol earned the right of having his municipality as the host of the first jai-alai betting station in Bohol. Although he has yet to act on the application for business permit, Jagna Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla dropped broad hints that he was going to approve the jail alai permit to operate in his town. But just to make sure that he was on the right tract, Mayor Abrenilla met with church leaders of his town to sound off their reaction on the jai-alai entry. Confronted with vehement opposition during their initial discussion with church leaders, Mayor Abrenilla said if the objection becomes more pronounced and telling “ he will be forced to reconsider his position”. Apparently acting on his own, the Post learned that the Jagna mayor will be confronted by Sangguniang Bayan members led by V-Mayor Exuperio Lloren tomorrow as to his definitive stand on the jai-alai issue. Reports reaching the Post from Jagna indicated that the jai-alai presence in the town was already a done deal. What made the report credible about Abrenilla's nod for jai-alai to invade Jagna was his alleged meeting with suertres ushers and coordinators.
The meeting was for the suertres personnel to switch patronage to the new game in town instead of sticking out to the illegal numbers racket. Jai-alai gives a high percentage of commission compared to suertres and providing the ushers with legal cover are identification cards to be issued by the franchise holder. By all indications, jai-alai is designed to kill suertres, the illegal numbers game derived from the winning combination of the daily draws of lotto. The daily lotto has at least three daily draws. With the coming jai-alai invasion in Bohol, it was learned that the local Philippine National Police has stepped up its anti-gambling drive by setting up check points in the towns. As if on cue, not a few suertres runners and ushers were apprehended by over eager policemen manning checkpoints. Sources from suertres financiers revealed that if the unrelenting drive against suertres personnel will go on unabated, chances are they will be drained of cash bonds to free their workers from detention. If this will go on , the financiers intimated, they will be forced to stop operations, a scenario most welcomed by jai alai operators because they will be left on their own without competition. The continuing campaign against suertres proved advantageous to jai-alai operators as personnel subjected to the no let-up drive were forced to join the growing rank of jai-alai bet collectors knowing that they are not subjected to arrest because the game is legal, in the first place.
CHURCH STAND
But jai alai entrepreneurs are not celebrating just as yet their supposed welcome in Bohol. May be unknown to them, the church is already mustering its resources for a possible “pastoral blockade”. In the Diocese of Talibon, it was learned that all parish priests under it are poised to sign a manifesto opposing the entry of the legal numbers game in its jurisdiction. Ditto with the Diocese of Tagbilaran. In a radio interview, The Most Rev. Leonardo Medroso, D.D.,bishop of Tagbilaran, made known his vehement opposition to jai alai. He said no amount of justification that it was legal because in the first place the game is against public morals. According to the bishop, gambling was addictive and therefore tends to make the people indolent instead of having to concentrate on a gainful means of livelihood. In trying to register his objection to jai alai, Bishop Medroso appealed to all municipal mayors to turn down any application for business permits in their municipalities. With its projected entry in Bohol, it is believed that jai alai will be given a new lease on life in the province barring vehement protestations from potential patrons. For three decades, jai alai was a game Filipinos have come to loved.
Records furnished the Post showed that the games are being held at the main fronton, known as Sports Valley in Sta. Ana, Cagayan . It is under the jurisdiction of Cagayan Economic Zone Authority that by virtue of a law, Sta. Ana area in Cagayan will be developed as a major trans shipment port and a gaming hub for Taiwanese and (mainland) Chinese tourists who frequently visit Sta. Ana for the beaches that could rival Boracay. For this reason, the management, Meridien Vista (who is headed by former world champion pelotari Toto Ricaguena of Spain) strongly believes that Jai Alai is here to stay. Sports Valley , is a world standard playing court complete with gym equipment and other amenities. There are a total of eight foreign and 22 Filipino pelotaris divided into different categories namely Senior A, Senior B and Junior players. Sports Valley scheduled line up consist of nine events or games to be played daily with each event having a certain number of players. Games are being shown live through GSAT DTH channel 12 and more than 250 cable affiliates nationwide, while the special llave (last game) where 10 senior pelotaris race to win 12 points also aired nightly over Solar TV on RPN and Solar Sports .
Mission
It aims to re-introduce Jai Alai as a spectator sport that was very popular from the 50s to the 80s until it was closed down on 1986. The fast plays, the handsome Spanish and Filipino players . It was known as the Game of a Thousand Thrills, The Fastest Ballgame on Earth and Ballet with the Bullets. As the young generation goes into more daring and extreme sports, none would be more exciting than to be inside a large cancha or playing court to hurl or catch a pelota (ball) that travels at an average of 240 miles per hour. A popular Philippine spectator sport was relaunched recently, 13 years after it was banned following a game-fixing scandal, and hundreds of punters joined the action.
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