MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he never ordered the police to stop operations against "jueteng", after he conceded that the illegal numbers game has become deeply embedded in some communities.

• Duterte says he’ll keep ‘jueteng’ for now

“Hindi ko naman sinabi na i-allow ko ang jueteng. Sinabi ko lang maghahanap pa ako ng paraan kung paano talaga ito, kasi ang lotto hindi gumana. Iyun sana ang panlaban sa jueteng,” Duterte said in Bisaya in a speech in Maasin, Southern Leyte.

“I never said that I prohibited the police... wala akong ibinigay na ganyan.”

Duterte said this after critics hit him for seemingly allowing jueteng operations.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief, said the police must not obey the orders, even from the President, if the orders are against the law.

In a June 22 speech, Duterte said since the government “cannot replace” jueteng, he will let it be for now. He added that jueteng is the source of livelihood in several communities in the country.

In an interview with reporters last June 28, he warned that drug syndicates might use the “extensive network” of jueteng to peddle drugs if he will order a crackdown on the illegal numbers game.

“Kung parahin ko ‘yan, I must be prepared to give another livelihood scheme sa mga tao. Kasi kapag wala ‘yan, wala kang ipapalit, anak ng --- ang papalit niyan droga. Mas deadly. Mas marami na at ang networking niyan mas malawak. Intensive and extensive,” he said.

“Ang magpapalit diyan yung mga drug lord. Sasakyan na lang nila ‘yung mechanism mismo.”

The government launched the small town lottery (STL) over a decade ago, but observers say STL operations have become a front for jueteng in some areas.