GAB, PNP ink anti-gambling pact

The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have established ground rules to strengthen coordination and cooperation in carrying out the pledge of President Arroyo to stamp out jueteng in three years.

GAB chairman Eric Buhain and PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao signed last Wednesday a memorandum of agreement at Camp Crame clarifying each other’s roles in the government’s intensified campaign against illegal gambling.

Although some critics expressed doubts on the ability of the Arroyo administration to stop jueteng, Buhain said the MOA is a step forward in fulfilling the President’s vow.

The MOA signatories were Chief Superintendent Florante Baguio, head of the PNP Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Operations Task Force (AIG-SOTF), and Enrico Buan, chief of GAB’s Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit (AIGU).

Under the MOA, the GAB and the PNP will ensure cooperation and proper coordination in their anti-illegal gambling campaign to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding.

They will also extend operational support to each other, share intelligence information on illegal gambling, and exchange assessment, evaluation and validation of these reports.

The PNP will provide assistance to GAB upon Buhain’s written request indicating the number of personnel needed and the duration of the anti-illegal gambling operation, among other details.

The GAB and the PNP will create a joint working committee to be chaired by Baguio and Buan that will be responsible for the adoption of policies to effectively implement the MOA.