ILOILO – Illegal gambling remains a problem despite the reoperation of Small Town Lottery (STL), acknowledged the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
“It’s sad that there are illegal gambling operators who refuse to cooperate with the police,” said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, police provincial director.
Just this Nov. 16 in Passi City, the police caught two persons soliciting bets for the illegal numbers game “bookies” – Lolita Palmares, 53, and Bonifacio Tambo, 67.
Palmares was arrested on Palmares Street, Barangay Poblacion while Tambo was caught in Barangay Poblacion Ilaya.
The suspects yielded illegal gambling paraphernalia and P366 cash.
It was only last month that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) resumed STL in this province via a new franchisee, the Red Subay Gaming Corporation. It cancelled the franchise of the previous operator (Eagle-Crest Gaming and Holding Corp.) in May for failing to meet financial obligation.
“We continue to operate against illegal gambling,” said Tayaba.
From January to September this year, the Iloilo police staged 181 anti-illegal gambling operations resulting to the arrest of 263 persons, IPPO data showed.
PCSO designed STL to eradicate illegal gambling./PN
