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[av_heading heading=’TOUGH TASK No ‘big fishes’ caught in anti-gambling ops ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P SILUBRICO
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ILOILO – For nine days beginning July 24 police stations across the province carried out a total of 21 operations against illegal numbers games and arrested 26 suspects.
These 26, however, were not the so-called “big fishes” in illegal gambling. They were all small-time bet collectors for the illegal numbers game bookies.
Still, Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, expressed confidence that his police chiefs can accomplish their goal of eliminating illegal gambling in the province within a 15-day period.
Tayaba gave his police chiefs the 15-day ultimatum on July 24. His men have until Aug. 7 to accomplish the tall order.
He previously said police chiefs who fail in the mission would be relieved from their posts.
Citing police intelligence information, Tayaba said there were six illegal gambling financiers in the province – a former mayor in the 4th District, town councilors one of whom was from the 2nd District, a former member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and barangay officials.
These illegal gambling financiers were giving stiff competition to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Small Town Lottery (STL), said Tayaba.
“Kung ayaw nila huminto, hindi rin tayo hihinto sa paghuli sa kanila,” said Tayaba.
He also urged Ilonggos to only patronize PCSO’s STL.
PCSO’s STL franchisee in this province recently sought the help of municipal mayors to combat illegal numbers games such as the pervasive “bookies.”
According to Ajuy mayor Jett Rojas, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Iloilo chapter, Eagle-Crest Gaming Corp. appealed to local chief executives during the league’s meeting on July 28.
“Bookies” was putting up stiff competition to STL, said Rojas.
Tayaba said there would be house-to-house operations on suspected illegal gambling personalities just like the campaign against illegal drugs./PN
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