CEBU, Philippines - The Police Regional Office-Region18 (Negros Island Region) had ordered all its units in the region to intensify anti-illegal gambling operations, after the anti-illegal drugs campaign was suspended.
Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO) deputy director for administration, Superintendent Reynold Andot, said the order was effective immediately while the province is also preparing for the entry of the Small Town Lottery or STL.
Andot said the anti-illegal gambling campaign is directed against illegal swertres and other illegal numbers game, including illegal cockfighting (locally known as tigbakay), panchong that is done during wakes, and the card game known as tong-its.
Superintendent Crisaleo Tolentino, head of the Provincial Intelligence Branch and the Special Operations Group, confirmed that the one-strike policy will be implemented against non-performing police stations, under the renewed call to run after the illegal swertres and other illegal numbers game.
All chiefs of police are directed to conduct raids on swertres joints, and submit names and personalities involved in the operation, Tolentino said.
He, however, admitted difficulty in running after the big financiers who operate discretely through remote controls from pension houses, inns and hotels, as their centers of operations.
As a continuing mandate of the police, Tolentino disclosed that in 2016, there were 116 anti-illegal gambling operations conducted province-wide and 12 more from January to February this year. Increased surveillance operations are being done to catch the gambling financiers, he said. (FREEMAN)