Crackdown on illegal gambling starts
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Instead of waiting for an order from the Philippine National Police headquarters, the police in Northern Mindanao on Saturday launched its own campaign to rid the region of illegal gambling.
Chief Supt. Noel Constantino, regional police director, directed all units to strictly enforce the crackdown on illegal gambling amid the government’s war on drugs.
Constantino said Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, PNP chief, had, in several events, announced that the PNP will wage war against illegal gambling after its intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
“Thus, we will not wait for the directive from [the national headquarters], which is already forthcoming. We will start now, gradually and with increasing intensity, and launch our all-out campaign against illegal gambling in Northern Mindanao,” Constantino said.
Supt. Surki Sereñas, regional police spokesperson, said because the campaign against illegal drugs is ongoing, “a portion of the police force [in the region] will be dedicated to this purpose, while other personnel [will sustain] the [antidrug] campaign.”
Constantino said this two-pronged approach hopes to arrest drug lords who are at the same time suspected of running gambling operations.
“This crackdown is also undertaken in light of reports that in some areas, there are drug lords who are also financiers of illegal gambling operations. The crackdown on illegal gambling … will also deprive the drug lords of money they derive from gambling,” he said. Jigger J. Jerusalem, Inquirer Mindanao
