[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ No more illegal gambling in Iloilo province? ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO – Is this province truly free from illegal numbers games?
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) wants to ask the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) what were its bases for declaring the province gambling-free.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, IPPO director, would be asked to appear in the SP’s session on Sept. 5, said Provincial Board member Emmanuel Gallar, chairperson of the committee on public order and safety.
Tayaba previously gave police chiefs 15 days (from July 24 to Aug. 7) to wipe out illegal gambling in their respective areas.
Iloilo is made up of 42 towns and one component city.
After the 15-day period, municipal police chiefs claimed to have cleared their areas of illegal numbers games such as bookies.
However, arrests of illegal bet collectors were continuing.
“We need to revalidate the claims. Alam naman natin ang ibang illegal numbers games bet collectors kapag may opportunity babalik ‘yan,” said Tayaba in a previous interview.
From Aug. 1 to Aug. 22, 28 bet collectors of bookies were arrested in 20 anti-illegal gambling operations, IPPO data showed.
Meanwhile, the Small Town Lottery (STL) franchisee in the province has so far recognized six towns as free from illegal gambling – Maasin, Cabatuan, Ajuy, Pototan, Zarraga, and Santa Barbara.
Eagle Crest Gaming and Holding Corp. had been complaining that illegal numbers games such as “bookies” were competing with its legal STL operations.
“We are thankful to the police,” said Samuel Aguilar, chief operating officer of Eagle Crest Gaming and Holding Corp.
Also, to give the police ample time to operate against illegal gambling, specifically in the municipalities of Carles, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and San Rafael, all in northern Iloilo, Eagle Crest suspended indefinitely its STL operations in these areas./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
