War vs video karera on

An irate Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco ordered yesterday a renewed all-out campaign against the mushrooming of video karera machines in the metropolis, particularly in Manila. In his directive to the five police district directors, Velasco ordered daily raids against video karera operations and the arrest of its operators and financiers, majority of them policemen. He emphasized that by curbing the operations of video karera machines, the police will not only be addressing the problem of illegal gambling but drug addiction as well.

Velasco particularly called the attention of Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, the head of the Western Police District (WPD) amid reports that the video karera machines’ operations went full-blast in his area the past several weeks. "I have called up Gen. Bulaong and directed him to implement an all-out war against video karera. He must raid and confiscate the machines regardless of who gets hurt," said Velasco in an interview.

Reports gathered by The STAR identified some of the video karera operators in Manila as Boboy Go, Randy Sy, Boy R., Romy Gutierrez and others known only as Satcho, Dula Torres and Neri.

The video karera operations went full blast the past several weeks after its operators and financiers allegedly shelled out P500,000 to ranking Manila police officials, reports reaching Velasco said.

A police official at the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) told The STAR that video karera also resurfaced in Caloocan City after Velasco and City Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo spearheaded the burning of 87 video karera machines recently.

A certain Oye, a non-uniformed personnel (NUP) of the Malabon police is believed to be behind the renewed proliferation of video karera not only in Caloocan City but also in nearby areas.

The NCRPO official said aside from Manila and Caloocan City, video karera operations are also rampant in Navotas, Valenzuela City, Malabon, Quezon City, Pasay City, Muntinlupa City and Las Piñas City.

The STAR source, who asked not to be identified, claimed it is an open secret that video karera operations thrive because of the weekly protection money its operators shell out to police and local government officials. "The operators and financiers have contacts with ranking local government and police officials and it’s impossible to stop the video karera racket," the source said.

But because Velasco stepped into the problem, the police official said his fellow policemen would be "forced to act on the issue."