ILOILO City – Almost 3,000 suspected illegal gamblers have been arrested by the police in Western Visayas in 11 months.
A total of 1,162 anti-illegal gambling operations conducted from January to November resulted in the capture of 2,951 suspects, records from the Police Regional Office 6 showed.
Those arrested were accused of engaging in the illegal numbers game “bookies,” illegal cockfighting, card games, spider-fighting, and the coin game cara y cruz or tumbô, said Superintendent Joem Malong.
“Our operations covered all forms of activities that involved betting with cash,” said the PRO-6 spokeswoman.
Malong clarified that they allow gambling at wakes provided there is a permit from the local police station and approval from barangay officials, who are charged with securing the area to avoid untoward incidents.
In the component city of Passi in Iloilo province, three illegal gambling suspects have recently been arrested.
Passi residents Wilfredo Devacais, 69, of Barangay Embang Grande and Cheryl Casamayor, 43, of Sara Road were caught in Embang Grande at 8:20 a.m. on Nov. 9.
Officers caught them soliciting bets for the illegal numbers game “bookies,” a police report showed.
At around 10 a.m. the following day police nabbed Myla Cabayao – a 28-year-old resident of Barangay Alimono, Passi – in Barangay Poblacion Ilaya in the component city.
Meanwhile Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, PRO-6 director, put more pressure on his police station heads.
“I challenge all my police chiefs to double their efforts against illegal gamblers in their respective areas of responsibility,” he said. “I want them to have accomplishments every month.”/PN
