PNP orders crackdown on illegal gambling amid lower STL revenue

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Police all over Western Visayas were told to mount heightened operations against illegal gambling.

The order was relative to the memorandum from the PNP Directorate for Operations instructing police regional offices to do a massive crackdown on illegal games.

The illegal gambling operations would focus on Small Town Lottery (STL) “bookies” and the online physical components of sabong where unauthorized activities or games of illegal cockfighting and live-streaming or broadcasting, outside cockpits or cockfighting arenas, or premises/e-sabong outlets are being held.

In the case of Western Visayas, eSabong, or the online/remote or off-site wagering/betting on live cockfighting matches or events, are non-existent, Brigadier General Archival Macala said.

Macala, Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 officer-in-charge, said intelligence monitoring suggested that eSabong has ceased to operate since it was declared illegal.

With regards to STL bookies, he admitted that they still exist in the region but “it’s not rampant.”

Nonetheless, Macala said all provincial and city police offices were told to intensify their campaign against illegal gambling, particularly STL bookies.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Games and Amusement Board (GAN) have allegedly noted a significant decrease in revenues from the STL operations due to widespread STL bookies activities.

Macala said the field commanders were also reminded again about the PNP’s one-strike police on illegal gambling.

The policy is implemented by the higher command conducting raids in towns and cities covered by the local police force. If the raid is positive, the local police commander will face consequences.

“It still stands. Kapag nahulihan ka sa iyong area of responsibility, ire-relieve ka,” he said.

For two positive operations in a province or city, the provincial or city director will be held administratively liable.

PNP national support units (NSU)) were tasked to do the validation.

Meanwhile, Macala said he also ordered all provincial and city directors and chiefs of police to coordinate with Authorized Agent Corporation (AAC), or the licensed Small Town Lottery (STL) operators in their respective areas of responsibility on the alleged report of illegal operations of number games.

Meanwhile, from May 8 to 14, different police units conducted 69 anti-illegal gambling operations that led to the arrest of 209 individuals.

Thirty-seven of the 69 operations were conducted by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) while Bacolod City PO did 9, Capiz PPO with 7, Iloilo City with 5, Iloilo PPO with 4; Antique with 3, and Aklan and Guimaras with 2 each.