Regional Police Office’s illegal gambling drive takes another casualty
The station commander of the Mambaling Police Station and four other policemen were relieved from their posts yesterday. They are casualties of Regional Police chief Marcelo Garbo’s one strike policy against illegal gambling.
Chief Insp. Sarah Jean Recla, Mambaling Police Station chief, and her men — PO2 Julius Tadeo, PO1 Glenn Besande, PO1 Bryle Villaban, and PO1 Jonathan Tilos — were informed of their relief yesterday by Acting Cebu City police chief Mariano Natu-el.
Garbo’s one strike policy involves the relief and transfer of a police chief who fails to stop illegal gambling in his or her area of jurisdiction.
Garbo ordered Recla’s relief after regional policemen raided a gambling joint in barangay Duljo-Fatima last week and confiscated at least 37 video karera and moli-moli machines.
Mambaling police station’s jurisdiction includes barangays Duljo Fatima, Basak San Nicolas and Mambaling.
“I have given instruction for the relief after a validation was conducted by our intel people in Barangay Duljo-Fatima,” Garbo said in an interview.
Chief Insp. George Ylanan, Regional Special Operations Group chief, said we confirmed reports of rampant illegal gambling involving video karera and moli-moli machines in Duljo-Fatima.
No arrests were made because owners of the house refused to divulge who left the illegal gambling machines in their house.
Garbo said it would be up to Natu-el to replace Recla. Recla said she couldn’t do anything if that was General Garbo’s decision because he served as the organization’s father.
“Si RD (regional director) amahan na siya sa tibuok region kung unsa iyang decision no comment lang ko kay apil mana sa panerbisyo ang ma-relieve,” Recla said./Correspondent Chito O. ARagon