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[av_heading heading=’ ‘ALL-OUT WAR’ VS GAMBLING ‘Bato’ vows to fire lazy, corrupt cops ‘ 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 City – Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa of the Philippine National Police declared an “all-out war” against illegal gambling and warned lazy and corrupt police officials.
Addressing Western Visayas policemen during a program marking the 116th Police Service Anniversary in Camp Martin Delgado yesterday, Dela Rosa announced he was giving Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director, “full authority” to relieve city and provincial police directors.
“I am declaring an all-out war against illegal gambling. Non-performing policemen would be relieved (from their posts) and (held) administratively liable,” said Dela Rosa.
The tough-talking police general also warned scalawags in uniform such as those receiving protection money from illegal gambling operators.
“Sa mga pulis na gumagawa ng katiwalian, hindi po kayo makakalusot. Sisiguraduhin ko ‘yan,” he said.
Dela Rosa also gave city and provincial police directors the power to sack police chiefs who fail to eradicate illegal gambling in their turfs.
He urged mayors not to interfere with the relief orders that provincial and city police directors issue on non-performing police chiefs.
Police chiefs across the region were given 15 days to eliminate illegal numbers games in their areas. In Iloilo province for example, the 15-day period was from July 24 to Aug. 7.
“Tapusin n’yo na ang assessment at validation (of performance) to know who will be relieved (from their posts),” Dela Rosa told Binag.
Of Iloilo province’s 42 towns and one component city, only six were deemed cleared of illegal gambling. These were Maasin, Cabatuan, Ajuy, Pototan, Zarraga, and Santa Barbara, according to Eagle Crest Gaming and Holding Corp., the Iloilo franchisee of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Small Town Lottery (STL).
STL has been designed to eradicate illegal gambling.
Eagle Crest has been complaining that illegal numbers games such as “bookies” are competing with its legal STL operation.
“Most of the police chiefs declared their areas gambling-free but we need to revalidate and reassess. Alam naman natin ang ibang illegal numbers games bet collectors kapag may opportunity babalik ‘yan,” said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, Iloilo Police Provincial Office director.
To give the police ample time to operate against illegal gambling, specifically in the municipalities of Carles, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and San Rafael, all in northern Iloilo, Eagle Crest suspended indefinitely its STL operations in these areas.
“We continue to monitor the situation and conduct anti-illegal gambling operations,” said Tayaba.
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./PN
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