ILOILO – From January to December 2018 the police in this province arrested 380 persons for illegal gambling.
According to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), five areas had the most number of arrested illegal gambling suspects – Oton (47), Passi City (34), Estancia (22), Leganes (21), Banate (19), and Dumangas (19).
Police units across the province carried out 225 operations against illegal gambling last year, said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, IPPO director.
From these operations, the cops seized P197,296 cash, he added.
But three police units – in Miag-ao, Bingawan and San Rafael towns – had no operations against illegal gambling in 2018, said Tayaba.
It was likely possible that there were no illegal gambling problems in these towns, he said.
In 2017, said Tayaba, these towns also recorded low in anti-illegal gambling operations (Miag-ao, three; Bingawan, none; and San Rafael, two).
“Puwedeng wala silang na-monitor na bookies sa ila areas,” said Tayaba.
Bookies is the most pervasive illegal numbers game in the province.
This 2019, the campaign against illegal gambling would continue without letup, said Tayaba.
He, however, clarified that illegal gambling was not such a serious concern in Iloilo.
Small Town Lottery of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office appeared effective in curbing illegal numbers games, he said./PN
