Senior Superintendent Armando De Leon, Compostela Valley Provincial Director (davaotoday.com file photo)
By Marlo Joshua Brua, Intern
DAVAO CITY, Philippines- After the Philippine National Police stopped its war on drugs to give way to internal cleansing, the regional command here shifted to its campaign against the illegal gambling .
The police said that anti-illegal gambling campaign is one of the eight “focus” crimes after President Rodrigo Duterte dismantled the police’s anti-drug units in the aftermath of the involvement of police officers in the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.
Senior Superintendent Armando de Leon, Compostela Valley Police provincial director, said operations have netted eight arrests on the first days of the campaign, saying the each municipality have incidents concerning illegal gambling.
He said the illegal number s games in every municipality “have financiers that is why we are focusing to eradicate and apprehend them.”
But De Leon clarifies that no financiers funding the illegal operations were caught among the eight apprehended in the police operations in the province.
“Hopefully, if they are eradicated in our province, no one will finance the gambling operations,” he added.
Police would also confiscate the “video karera machines ” rampant in mining areas of Diwalwal and Monkayo.
He also said there were no police reported to be involved in gambling.
But in Davao del Norte, Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Sifuentes, acting provincial commander, belied reports of police officers allegedly protecting and financing illegal number games known as “last two” saying he personally monitors the movement of his personnel.
He said many of those arrested were “ushers”, who list and collect the bets from “last two.”
Senior Inspector Catherine Dela Rey of Davao City Police Office said the “last two” game was also rampant in the city and police had conducted 90 operations last year.
“Actually, its ongoing. In fact, last year, we have 90 operations except that this time, we have the focus after the illegal drugs operations were removed from us,” she added.
Dela Rey called on the public to report to the police the illegal activities in communities.
She said the “last two” digits game, mahjong, card games and carnivals without permits were among the prohibited activities. (davaotoday.com)
