ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has declared an all-out war against all forms of illegal gambling in the metro.
ICPO director, Police Colonel Eric Dampal, vowed to hit hard on illegal gambling, particularly illegal numbers game “bookies” that continuously compete with the government-sanctioned Small Town Lottery (STL).
Dampal, who recently took ever the ICPO helm, called on all his police chiefs, including intelligence officers, to spearhead a full-scale crackdown against illegal gamblers in their area of assignment. He also ordered his cops to strictly follow the “no take policy.”
“There will be no let up against illegal gambling and I made this clear to my men – the no take policy,” said Dampal.
According to the city top cop, this directive is in line with the main thrusts of no less than, Philippine National Police chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa, who earlier vowed to make the country free from illegal gambling.
Dampal noted that based on their latest monitoring, there are no organized financiers in this city, saying the operations are individual and that the bet collectors are basing their result to STL in the province of Guimaras. The STL in Guimaras is legal after the financiers got their franchise.
On March 7,
Last week, Police Regional Office 6 director Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan also directed his local units and police chiefs to focus on illegal gambling aside from illegal drugs.
He also warned his men for the no take policy.
“Those who will be caught violating my directive for the no take policy will be slapped with an administrative case,” said Pamuspusan./PN
