7 Negros cop chiefs warned on gambling

BACOLOD CITY - Seven police chiefs in Negros Occidental face relief if they fail to stamp out illegal gambling in their respective turfs within this month, provincial police director Geary Barias said.

Barias said the police chiefs of Sipalay City and the towns of Binalbagan, Toboso, Moises Padilla, Candoni, La Castellana, Salvador Benedicto have not accomplished anything in the anti-illegal gambling drive since January.

To date, 24 other police stations in Negros Occidental, with the exception of Bacolod City, have carried out 81 anti-gambling raids that resulted in the arrest of 151 violators and confiscation of P41,786 in cash bets and gambling paraphernalia.

Police records show the San Carlos, Bago, Kabankalan and Silay City police units carried out the most number of anti-illegal gambling raids and arrested the most number of violators.

Police anti-gambling efforts have intensified in recent days following the National Police Commission’s relief of seven police generals for their failure to stamp out jueteng.

The Napolcom also admonished governors and city and municipal mayors to do their part in the anti-illegal gambling drive, being deputies of the commission.

Local executives who fail to do so risk losing their administrative supervision over the local police, and possibly facing administrative or criminal complaints, as provided under Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 2002-004.

Barias admitted that illegal gambling thrives in Negros Occidental through so-called guerrilla-type operations, despite the police campaign against it. — Antonieta Lopez