N. Vizcaya turning into gambling ‘haven’

CAMP SATURNINO DUMLAO, Philippines—The popularity of licensed gaming and lottery operations have made some residents in the province fearful, amid suspicions that these are being used as alleged fronts for “jueteng.”

Bet collectors for the “Bingo Milyonaryo,” the jai alai games of Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. and the “Bingo sa Barangay (village)” have operated simultaneously in various Nueva Vizcaya towns.

“This is the first time in the history of the province that gaming ventures similar to ‘jueteng’ are so open and are offered to gamblers at the same time. Nueva Vizcaya is now a haven for gambling,” said furniture trader Celso Curameng, 41, of Sta. Rosa village here.

Bingo Milyonaryo, which is operated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), has ongoing operations in the towns of Bayombong, Diadi, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Aritao and Bagabag, while bets are being collected for jai alai games in the same towns as well as in Solano and Bambang.

Meridien operates jai alai games at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan province.

On Monday, Bingo sa Barangay also started operations in Bayombong, the capital town.

On Wednesday, Gov. Ruth Padilla asked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to stop the operations of Bingo Milyonaryo, as well as illegal gambling in the province.

“[The provincial government has] been receiving adverse reports on the operations and activities of the Bingo Milyonaryo’s licensed operator in our province, including the employment of collectors and cabos roaming certain populated areas of Nueva Vizcaya,” she wrote to Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong, CIDG national director.

A copy of Padilla’s letter was transmitted to the police provincial office here.

Senior Supt. Valfrie Tabian, Nueva Vizcaya police director, said his office is still validating the documents presented by these gaming operators. Tabian said the local franchise holder of Bingo Milyonaryo had presented permits issued by the PCSO.

“We have ongoing verification and surveillance operations to ensure that if arrests [of bet collectors] are made, the charges to be filed are airtight to spare the arresting officers from possible countercharges,” he said. Melvin Gascon, Inquirer Northern Luzon