The country's city mayors who were here in a recent executive board meeting were in virtual admission that illegal gambling “is one nut hard to crack”. The city mayors said they were one in saying that illegal gambling is a common problem but were also unanimous in saying that it was not their priority. The city mayors attended the 45 th National Executive Board (NEB) meeting of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) held at the Peacock Garden Resort in Upper Laya, Baclayon last Nov. 25-26. This month's NEB was hosted by Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim, LCP vice president for Visayas. Among those who attended the meeting were Mayors Oscar Rodriguez of San Fernando, Pampanga and Hernani Braganza of Alaminos, Pangasinan, LCP president and secretary-general respectively.

Also present were Mayors Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela, Bulacan, LCP vice president for National Capital Region and Mayor Benjamin Lim of Dagupan, Pangasinan, treasurer. Rodriguez, Braganza, Gatchalian, Bais Mayor Karen Villanueva and Mayor Cherry Santos Akbar of Isabela, Basilan attended a press conference Friday afternoon. The Tagbilaran mayor did not attend the press conference. Rodriguez said that while jueteng is a problem in Pampanga, he has not made the campaign against the illegal numbers game a priority “otherwise there is nothing else we can do”. “We will arrest (illegal gambling operators) if they do it in front of us but we will not go out of our way to do it,” Rodriguez added. Braganza, a former Agrarian Reform secretary, went even further in saying that not only illegal gambling “but all illegal activities” will not thrive without the approval from higher authorities. According to Braganza, the no. 1 problem confronting mayors was still poverty and alleviating it was the top priority of most city executives.

Gatchalian echoed this in saying that while the mayors recognize illegal gambling as a problem, they cannot stop it on their own. He stressed that with their meager resources, they have to prioritize their concerns but lamented that since they are the ones in the field, they get the blame most of the time. The Tagbilaran mayor earlier declared that while he was supporting the campaign against swertres, he was not making it his priority. His remarks were immediately exploited by his critics who alleged that he was not sincere in eradicating it. Lim turned the tables on his accusers by daring Gov. Edgar Chatto and Supt. Constantino Barot, Jr. Bohol PNP provincial director to go after all swertres activities. Just a few weeks after a well-publicized campaign against the illegal numbers game, it fizzled out without any significant result. Lim said that as mayor, he was more interested in addressing the basic needs of his constituents especially the poorest of the poor. As it turned out, his sentiment was shared by most if not all of the city mayors who noted that they are at the forefront in the campaign to address poverty. Of the 22 city mayors who earlier confirmed their attendance, 19 actually attended the meeting which LCP secretariat members said was the most for an NEB.