AN OFFICIAL of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) said station commanders who ignore and fail to act on the blatant illegal gambling operations in their areas will be relieved from their posts immediately.
Cocpo spokesperson Chief Inspector Mardy Hortillosa II said the "one strike policy" will be strictly enforced in the course of the war on illegal gambling as declared by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
The declaration of the war on illegal gambling is based on the Executive Order (E.O) issued by President Rodrigo Duterte which directs the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other law enforcement agencies to intensify the campaign on illegal gambling and "act on the request of gambling regulatory authorities to investigate and put an end to illegal gambling activities in respective jurisdiction."
The Presidential order clarified that in case of online gambling, "no licensed online gambling operator or provider of services related to online gambling activities shall directly or indirectly allow persons who are physically located outside the territorial jurisdiction of the licensing authority to place bets, or in any way participate in the games conducted by such operator, whether through an online portal or similar means."
"Kung naay open nga illegal gambling operation unya wala maaksyoni, automatic kick out sa pagka-commander ang station commander kung aha na-under ang maong area (If an illegal gambling operation is open and no action has been done to it yet, the station commander is automatically kicked out if it falls on his area)," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said Cocpo will then conduct a pre-charge investigation to determine probable cause for the administrative case that the station chief may face after the relief.
"Mag pre-charge investigation para sutaon kung naa bay grounds para ma-administratively charge siya like neglect of duty kay nagpasagad siya sa trabaho (There will be a pre-charge investigation to find if there are grounds to file administrative charges against him like neglect of duty if he really neglected his work)," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said Cocpo will also go after policemen who are protecting and engaging in illegal gambling operations.
The Cocpo spokesman urged the public to report to higher officials the names of policemen who are accepting money or worse, operating illegal gambling in their communities.
Cocpo earlier released the contact numbers where tipsters can directly report information about police involvement in any form of unlawful activities such as illegal gambling, illegal drugs, robbery, kidnapping, among others.
The hotline number of the Maharlika headquarters is 0936-401-7888 while contact numbers in police stations are 0917-848-9327 (Police station 1); 0926-592-2662 (Police Station 2); 0917-677-0543 (Police Station 3); 0997-380-7386 (Police Station 4); 0906-580-2453 (Police Station 5); 0915-969-4189 (Police Station 6); 0905-482-2050 (Police Station 7); 0998-990-0048 (Police Station 8); 0977-012-8666 (Police Station 9); and 0917-326-3995 (Police Station 10).
The PNP’s Counter Intelligence Task Force, created by PNP Chief Dela Rosa to go after scalawags, had also publicized its hotline numbers namely 09989702286 and 09957952569.
Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Superintendent Lemuel Gonda said Monday that one of the directives from the national headquarters is for police units to engage in the one time-big time operations on illegal gambling.
"Tumong ani nga mahunong ang (This aims to stop) illegal gambling operations. Part sa atong internal cleansing nga gihimo is pag lifestyle check sa kapolisan nga involved sa illegal activities like gambling nga gihimo nilang additional source sa ilang pangita (As part of our internal cleansing, we do lifestyle check in our policemen involved in illegal activities like gambling as their additional source of income)," Gonda said.
Dela Rosa had said previously that the PNP will go after illegal gambling "once the battle against illegal drugs is won."
Dela Rosa also expressed confidence on Monday that illegal gambling can be stopped in six months.
In a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Dela Rosa said that if all government agencies and the public would cooperate with one another, the operation of all forms of illegal gambling in the country can be stopped.
"The Philippine National Police will continue to hit hard on all forms of illegal gambling activities in line with Executive Order (EO) No. 13 issued by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte," Dela Rosa said.
The EO 13 directs the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to intensify the national campaign against illegal gambling in coordination with the Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Dela Rosa said the new campaign is a national advocacy to rid the country of all forms of illegal gambling activities that contribute to moral decay and provide an economic support system that sustains other forms of illegal activity.
"Furthermore, based on our own experience, illegal gambling activities, if left unchecked, breeds corruption and may mutate into other forms of organized crime, including drug-trafficking, illegal vices, money-laundering and kidnapping," Dela Rosa said. (with a report from PNA)
