Gambling on a gambler : high stakes for the Philippine presidency

Abstract

After 29 months in office Philippine President Joseph Estrada's administration is on the verge of collapse, with daily calls for his resignation mounting as impeachment proceedings move forward. This economic and political crisis is headlined in newspapers as juetengate, an illegal nationwide numbers game from which Estrada is alleged to have reaped millions. Yet jueteng betting is as time-honored an activity by residents of many Philippine communities as is bingo for residents of many U.S. towns. While the size of the proceeds Estrada was said to be receiving may have startled some, other factors contributed significantly to the current political conflagration. This working paper discusses how and why Estrada's problems are much deeper than gambling alone.