‘Campaign vs illegal gambling sustained’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental police provincial director, Col. Romeo Baleros said police officers in the province continue to sustain the campaign against illegal gambling, particularly jueteng.

PNP Chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa ordered on Saturday all regional directors to stop jueteng, an illegal numbers game, and all forms of illegal gambling in one week.

Baleros on Sunday told the Daily Guardian here that “even before the incumbent Chief PNP has ordered the stoppage of  jueteng operation, NOCPPO (Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office) has already implemented its full scale operation against illegal numbers game and other forms of money betting games which are not authorized by the PCSO and PAGCOR. ”

He said that the PNP is extensively and intensively pressing its grip to eliminate illegal number games nationwide since time immemorial because its continuous existence has greatly affecting the daily remittance of legitimate Small Town Lottery (STL) operations for the government’s essential social services.

Baleros also said that “the poor, unemployed and marginalized members of the society who are deprived to get permanent sources of livelihood are being used by the illegal gambling operators to engage in this kind of illicit activity as cabos, collectors, and couriers for survival.”

However, he also said that ” the PNP will continue to use the long arms of the law to paralyze their operation and will always follows the order of the highest leader of the PNP organization. ”

Baleros also said that only legitimate STL is operating in the province.

However, those who are still trying to engage in other forms of illegal gambling such as spider fighting, bug-oy, card games, Mahjong, swertres, Jai-alai, and STL bookies are being arrested, he further said.

“Despite of our extensive operation against them, we can’t totally eradicate its existence particularly in the outskirts areas of the province with the presence of insurgents”

Bacolod City Police director, Col. Henry Binas said that since there is Small Town Lottery in Bacolod, a PCSO sanctioned numbers game, illegal gambling in Bacolod is a thing of the past.

“There is no illegal gambling in Bacolod like jueteng and other illegal numbers game.” Binas said.

He said there is also no truth to reports that STL is being used as a front for jai-alai.

There are reports of card games like tong -its though, Binas said.