By Lizbeth Ann Abella/Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY — A total of 1,587 lotto and gaming outlets have been shut down by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Eastern Visayas, heeding President Rodrigo Duterte’s order on the crackdown of state-accredited gambling.
In a report released Monday, Brig. Gen. Dionardo Carlos, PNP-Eastern Visayas Regional Director, said policemen have been checking all outlets accredited by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to ensure that all have ceased their operations.
Of the 1,587 PCSO-franchised outlets closed by the PNP, 913 are in Northern Samar, 182 in Leyte, 126 in Samar, 100 in Tacloban City, 97 in Southern Leyte, 79 in Ormoc City, 65 in Eastern Samar, and 25 in Biliran.
“We ask all PNP provincial and city directors to submit reports on closures of gaming outlets. The order is to shut down all outlets and arrest bettors and operators who are still engaged in this kind of operations,” Carlos told reporters on Monday.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered on Friday night the immediate stoppage of all gaming schemes operated, licensed, and franchised by the PCSO due to reports of massive corruption in the agency.
He also instructed the removal of gaming and gambling materials of the PCSO schemes in public areas.
“I have today ordered the closure, the stoppage of all gaming schemes or whatever nature, however, done, that got the franchises to do so from the PCSO. The ground is massive corruption involving all… pati (including) the courts who repeatedly issued injunctions to paralyze government and to allow corruption to thrive,” Duterte said in a video posted on social media by the Presidential Communications Operations Office late Friday.
The President’s order includes PCSO’s Lotto, Small Town Lottery, and Peryahan ng Bayan.
Likewise, Duterte directed the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to ensure the enforcement of his order by Saturday morning.
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