Gambling lords defy Digos City crackdown

DIGOS CITY—Illegal gambling operators are defying a city council resolution shutting down betting stations here known as frontons.

The resolution, which became law after Mayor Joseph Peñas signed it last week, was part of the city government’s crackdown on Last Two, a numbers game based on daily lotto draws and which has spawned the opening of betting stations that people here call frontons.

In the resolution, the city council ordered the city police to dismantle or demolish Last Two betting outlets, amid criticism that gambling lords have become bolder in defying existing antigambling laws.

Contrary to past practices, which involved guerrilla-type operations, Last Two financiers have over the years become more daring by putting up betting stations even near police outposts.

Last Two operations have won over jueteng here.

The number of frontons, said Councilor Serafin Senajon Jr., the resolution author, has grown. “They have mushroomed,” he said.

A check by Inquirer showed that two weeks after the resolution was passed, frontons are still open and have disguised themselves as cell phone reloading stations. Bets are taken in these outlets.

“If this trend continues, Digos City may be known as a haven for illegal gamblers, a moniker that would negatively affect our viability to become a family-, child-, business- and development-friendly city,” Senajon said.

Reached for comment, Peñas said he has ordered city police director Supt. Solomon de Castilla “to implement the strong teeth of the law.”

“It is high time now to stop all these illegal gambling operations and I have the political will,” said the mayor.

De Castilla said police were preparing to padlock or dismantle all frontons in the city.

He also said even before the passage of the resolution, police had been at war with illegal numbers games.

He said police, however, needed council approval to demolish the frontons.

Last year, the provincial police conducted a crackdown on the betting stations and closed many of them.

Those manning the stations have been charged but no gambling operator has been haled to court.

The betting stations also re-opened as soon as Senior Supt. Vladimir Custer Kahulugan was relieved as Davao del Sur police director last year. Reports from Orlando Dinoy and Eldie Aguirre, Inquirer Mindanao