Ax falling on Digos police chief

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo issued a stern warning to the police chief of Digos City amid the city police’s apparent failure to put a stop to the criminal operations of a gambling syndicate there—the ax is falling.

Robredo said Supt. Solomon de Castilla, Digos City police director, could be the fourth police officer to be removed in recent days if De Castilla continues to fail to put a stop to the illegal numbers racket Last Two.

Last Two, which bases its winning numbers on the last two digits of results of the government-run Lotto, is running roughshod over a resolution passed by the Digos City council asking police to put a stop to the underworld gambling operations.

According to Robredo in a phone interview, he had spoken with Digos Mayor Joseph Peñas about the criminal operations “and I told the mayor that if the problem still persists, it’s better to relieve the police chief there.”

He said on March 26, he ordered the relief of three police chiefs in Camarines Sur because of their failure to curb illegal gambling operations in their turfs.

De Castilla, Robredo said, “will be relieved like what we did to three chiefs of police in Camarines Sur.”

Robredo identified the officers removed in Camarines Sur as Chief Insp. Ely Compuesto of Pili town, Chief Insp. Benjamin España of Calabanga town and Senior Insp. Victor Azuela, acting police chief of Bato town.

Robredo said the operations of Last Two have become “rampant especially in Digos City … and it is syndicated.”

He said, however, that he would await De Castilla’s action on illegal gambling before De Castilla’s fate is decided.

Supt. Ronaldo Llanera, Davao del Sur provincial police chief, said he has ordered town police chiefs to intensify operations against Last Two not just by arresting bettors but financiers as well.

Llanera said he also told police chiefs to emulate what Bansalan town police director Milgrace Driz did against Last Two.

Driz, Bansalan’s first female police chief, had led the demolition of Last Two betting stations in the town last month, prompting the mayor of Digos City to comment that women had more balls than men.

De Castilla said contrary to perceptions, he has been leading his men against Last Two operations in Digos City.

He said there have been arrests but no financier had been identified so far.

“The problem is they (arrested bet collectors) don’t divulge who their financiers are,” said De Castilla. Orlando Dinoy and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao