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[av_heading heading=’ WHOSE HEADS WILL ROLL? STL suspended in 5 towns as illegal gambling persists ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO – The 15-day ultimatum for police chiefs to stamp out illegal gambling in their respective turfs ended yesterday. Have illegal numbers games been eradicated from the province?
Apparently not.
To give the police ample time to operate against illegal gambling in the municipalities of Carles, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and San Rafael, all in northern Iloilo, the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in five Iloilo towns has been indefinitely suspended.
STL franchisee Eagle Crest Gaming and Holding Corp. has been complaining that illegal numbers games such as bookies are competing with its operation.
According to Eagle Crest’s chief operating officer Samuel Aguilar, they agreed with Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba to suspended operation in the five towns “para freely na maka-operate ang kapulisan at malinis na po ang Iloilo.”
Tayaba previously warned his police chiefs those who would fail to crush illegal gambling in their areas would be relieved from their posts. But yesterday, there was no word yet from the IPPO on who would get the ax.
The Police Regional Office 6 is patterning its campaign against illegal gambling to its antidrug drive. It ordered tokhang or house-to-house operations on suspected illegal gambling personalities. The strategy involved knocking (toktok) on houses and convincing (hangyo) suspects to stop their illegal activities. Uncooperative suspects will be subjected to anti-illegal gambling operations.
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.
As to when Eagle Crest will resume STL operation in the five towns, Aguilar said they would be waiting for guidance from the IPPO.
He recently expressed concern over the series of arrests of Eagle Crest STL bet collectors by policemen operating against illegal gambling. The collectors were mistaken to be working for illegal numbers games.
Aguilar appealed to the public to patronize the legal STL because the government has a share from the proceeds.
Eagle Crest has sought the help of municipal mayors, too, to combat illegal numbers games. According to Ajuy mayor Jett Rojas, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Iloilo chapter, Aguilar appealed to local chief executives during the league’s meeting on July 28.
“Kay wala income ang gobyerno through STL,” said Rojas.
Mayors are against illegal gambling, stressed Rojas, but a lot hinge on how active the police are in running after illegal gambling operators and their minions.
PCSO expanded the operation of STL nationwide to help the government’s anti-illegal gambling drive.
“Answering the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to eliminate illegal gambling and stop corruption in the country, PCSO expanded its STL operations from 18 areas since it started in 2006 to 56 areas nationwide this year,” said PCSO chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz./PN
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