Town cop chief sacked over illegal gambling

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The regional director of the Philippine National Police in Central Luzon has relieved the police chief of Baliwag town in Bulacan province after raids in the town led to the arrest of 29 people who were allegedly involved in the illegal operation of the state-sanctioned Small Town Lottery (STL).

Supt. Julius Caesar Domingo, Baliwag police chief, was relieved on Wednesday as the PNP validated the existence of illegal number games in the town, said Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, regional police director.

Petrasanta’s report, however, did not refer to “jueteng,” a popular illegal numbers game in the region.

In relieving Domingo, Petrasanta invoked the police’s “one-strike policy.” Through this, a successful police operation against illegal gambling in an area is enough to take administrative action against the police official concerned.

He said the raid by the police’s Regional Intelligence Division on a house in Lajom Compound in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Baliwag, on April 1 also led to the seizure of bundles of STL and Bingo Milyonaryo bet sheets, other gambling paraphernalia and P1,700 worth of bets.

The suspects allegedly ran “bookies” of STL and Bingo Milyonaryo, but did not remit collections to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The STL operator in Bulacan is Diamond Gaming and Research Center Corp., the PCSO said in its website.

Petrasanta said the Central Luzon police would “continue to eradicate all forms of illegal gambling in the region.”

Suspects for STL bookies were also arrested in Capas town, Tarlac province, in July 2010.

In January this year, the regional police confirmed receiving a Dec. 16, 2012, memorandum from the PCSO saying “anti-illegal gambling laws do not apply to STL employees.”

Resolution No. 116-2006 of the National Police Commission said the “PNP will not arrest anybody engaged in any activity within the scope of the STL project of the PCSO.”

It said policemen could only arrest based on the complaint of the PCSO and its agents, local officials and religious and nongovernment organizations.

The PCSO reported generating more than P3 billion from STL in 2006 and 2007. Its plan to stop STL in late 2010 and replace this with Loterya ng Bayan has yet to push through, with officials saying the implementing rules and regulations for Loterya are being reviewed. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon