ILOILO City – A total of 687 illegal gambling suspects have been arrested in Western Visayas in the first quarter of the year.
The arrests were the result of 231 operations from January to April 16, Police Regional Office 6 records showed.
Bet money worth a total of P180,461 were seized during these operations, the PRO-6 said.
The PRO-6 is giving particular attention to illegal gambling – aside from illegal drugs – to maintain peace and order, said the director, Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag.
“Ang illegal gambling ay minsan simula ng misunderstanding,” he said.
Binag directed all police officials in the region to step up their campaign against illegal gambling; otherwise, they will be relieved.
The PRO-6 director said he does not want “lazy” station chiefs and city or provincial directors.
Aside from relief, police officials who do not perform well in the antidrug and anti-illegal gambling campaigns will be slapped with administrative charges, warned Binag.
According to Binag, fighting these particular crimes is the main thrust of the government.
The government wants the Philippines “to be a gambling- and drug-free country,” he said./PN
