DIGOS CITY, Philippines – The city council has given the go-signal, after a lengthy and emotionally-charged discussion, to a Cagayan de Oro City company to run an online bingo gambling operation here.
Voting 7-5 in favor of Limketkai Bingo Boutique on Thursday, the city council also adopted the line of the endorsers that the online gambling proposal was better than the illegal numbers game “Last Two,” which continues to flourish here and in Davao del Sur.
In Last Two betting, large sums of money go to bettors who correctly pick the last two digits of the Lotto numbers that are drawn in Manila daily by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Councilor Johari Baña, one of those who opposed the online bingo proposal, said allowing Limketkai to operate in Digos would turn the city into the gambling capital of the province.
But Councilor Juanito Morales, who represents the city’s barangay chairmen on the council, angrily retorted that if the city council would not allow the online bingo, which is legal, then it should also put a stop to the rampant Last Two Digits operations.
Morales pointed out that illegal gambling operators have become bolder by actually putting up betting stations but nothing was being done against them.
He said it appeared that some politicians were actually abetting the illegal gambling operations and even succeeded in removing Senior Superintendent Vladimir Custer Kahulugan as Davao del Sur police director last year.
Kahulugan had spearheaded a massive anti-gambling campaign prior to his removal, Morales said.
Kahuluhan was replaced by Senior Supt. Ronaldo Llanera.
Explaining her vote, Councilor Mila Llanos said, “My vote is yes because bingo is better than Last Two.”