Two senators said on Tuesday that Manila local officials arrested for illegal gambling did not commit any crime for simply sponsoring a bingo game in the city during the weekend.
Over the weekend, reelectionist Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim was accused of political harassment over the arrest of Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and five candidates for sponsoring a bingo session. But on Monday, his rival, former President Joseph Estrada, was accused of the same offense for allegedly bullying a police officer who arrested Moreno and five others.
The camp of reelectionist Manila Vice Mayor Francisco Domagoso said Monday it is bent on filing charges against police officers who arrested him and five other fellow councilors over a bingo game last weekend in Sta. Cruz district, Manila.
Is playing bingo a crime? Even the spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted that the law prohibiting illegal gambling did not specify if bingo and other similar games of chance might be considered unlawful.
A woman killed herself the other day following an argument with her live-in partner over the P20,000 she lost in a bingo game.
