Drug lords turn to illegal gambling

Drug lords in northern Metro Manila have shifted their operations to illegal gambling as authorities’ renewed their campaign against illegal drugs, police sources claimed yesterday.

At the same time, there has been a notable decrease in the number of arrests of drug pushers in identified drug-affected areas in Manila, according to official police records.

A highly placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several drug traffickers in the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela (Camanava) area have turned to illegal gambling because of the authorities anti-drugs drive.

"We have reports that since the availability of shabu is getting difficult and selling it has become hard, drug lords have shifted to illegal gambling," the source said.

Authorities recently renewed their campaign against illegal drugs after former anti-narcotics agent Mary "Rosebud" Ong implicated several high-ranking police officials in drug trafficking.

On the other hand, another source claims that illegal gambling remains a profitable business in northern Metro Manila.

"Nothing has changed here in Camanava when it comes to illegal gambling operations," he said, adding that only the rate of protection money of gambling operations has increased.

"It’s only the value of the protection money that has changed," the source said.

The source identified the alleged gambling operators as a certain Lucy Santos, Aling Lisan, Rey Recto, Ely Mango, a certain Maritoni and Galgana, and one Dr. Razon, among others, who are allegedly known to operate illegal gambling tables in the Camanava area.

"Why the police and some local authorities tolerate them is common knowledge. It’s the money that these people provide," he said.

Meanwhile, police statistics showed that from January to September this year, the Western Police District-District Drug Enforcement Group (WPD-DDEG) was able to clear only 38 drug-affected barangays, a 66 percent drop from last year’s 113 and an 84 percent decrease from 249 in 1999.

According to WPD-DDEG commander Chief Inspector Jose Mario Espino the continuing decrease in the number of barangays cleared of drug pushers and users could be attributed to the changes in the priority programs and plans of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"Most of the WPD personnel were tapped to augment the police’s civil disturbance unit during protest rallies in the first two quarters of this year. The political situation at that time was volatile and the police have their hands full in maintaining peace and order in almost daily rallies," Espino said.

Manila has 895 barangays, 560 of which were classified as drug affected areas with 2,932 residents identified as either drug pushers or users. From 1999 to present, WPD-DDEG was able to clear 400 drug affected barangays through the cooperation of the Barangay Drug Abuse Council (Badac), with 287 pushers and 1,114 users neutralized.

Several operations to reduce the drug supply and drug addiction in Manila resulted in the confiscation of 4,507 grams of shabu and 2,035 grams of marijuana.

Notable among the WPD-DDEG’s accomplishments for this year were the arrest of Eli Co Yan and Jacky Ang Lee in Aug. 14 in Ermita, Manila and the confiscation of more than two kilos of shabu.