‘One strike, no-take policy’: PNP, PCSO intensify drive vs illegal gambling
Newly appointed Philippine National Police Chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. holds his first press briefing on Tuesday, April 25 2023 at Camp Crame in Quezon City. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) have partnered to intensify the campaign against illegal gambling activities nationwide by enforcing the “one strike and no-take policy.”
According to PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., the police force has mobilized its regional, provincial, and city anti-illegal gambling special operations task groups to conduct thorough investigations and execute interventions against illegal gambling nationwide under its Memorandum Circular No. 2017-022.
“We will not tolerate the existence of illegal gambling activities that prey on the most vulnerable members of our society. Together with PCSO, we will deploy all necessary resources and implement stringent measures to put an end to this menace,” Acorda said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
“The one strike and no take policy represents a zero-tolerance approach, where negligence or inaction will be met with swift consequences. With this strong stance, the PNP aims to leave no room for leniency in eradicating the illegal gambling menace,” he added.
Under the “one strike and no-take policy,” police officials who fail to eradicate illegal gambling in their areas of jurisdiction will be relieved from their posts immediately and charged under the doctrine of command responsibility. The policy will be applicable a month after officials assume their positions.
Meanwhile, PCSO General Manager Mel Robles said illegal gambling operations affected the agency’s generated revenue, which ended up in the pockets of illegal gambling operators.
“In turn, those losses deprive poor Filipino citizens of the healthcare and other benefits that the PCSO provides,” Robles said.
