92 police officials relieved over illegal gambling

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima has approved the relief of 92 police officials nationwide in line with the PNP’s “one-strike” policy against illegal gambling.

Purisima directed Director Catalino Cuy, head of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management, to implement the relief of the 92 chiefs of police and precinct commanders as soon as possible.

Records show that these police officials had not acted in the campaign against illegal gambling in their respective areas of responsibility.

From Feb. 14 to March 13 this year, combined elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Intelligence Group (IG) staged 121 operations against illegal gambling all over the country, resulting in the arrest of 293 persons and the seizure of cash bets and gambling paraphernalia.

Under the PNP’s Letter of Instruction 27/2012 or the one-strike policy, one successful raid by a non-organic PNP unit proving the existence of illegal gambling operations within a municipality shall result in the relief of the chief of police and station commanders.

Director Don Montenegro, head of the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, recommended the relief of the 92 police officials after the joint CIDG and IG units conducted successful anti-illegal gambling raids in their jurisdictions.

In Metro Manila, recommended for relief were the precinct commanders of Dagat-Dagatan in Caloocan City, Barangay San Miguel in Pasig City, Barangay Sta. Elena in Marikina City, Barangay Central and Signal Village City, the chief of police of Taguig City and the commander of Station 3 in Manila.

The Police Regional Office 12 (PRO12) in Mindanao topped the list of areas having the most number of chiefs of police recommended for relief with 17, closely followed by Calabarzon with 13.

The PRO5 and PRO6 have nine each; PRO10, PRO13 and NCRPO with seven each; PRO2, PRO3, and PRO11 with three each; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with two and PRO1, PRO7, and PRO9, with one each.

PRO4-B and Cordillera Region registered negative arrests.

Purisima approved Montenegro’s recommendation last April 5 and Cuy is expected to implement his directive in due time.