ILOILO CITY – – Eight alleged illegal gambling financiers are operating in Iloilo province, according to the provincial police here.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), disclosed this during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Tuesday, where he was invited to explain the resurgence of illegal gambling in the province during the question hour.
Tayaba said there is a resurgence of illegal gambling in the province since the operation of the Small Town Lottery (STL) was halted last May 10.
“Most of these illegal gambling operators are former members of the Eagle Crest (Gaming and Holding Corp.), the legitimate STL (operator) that was canceled by PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office),” he said.
PCSO terminated its agreement with Iloilo’s STL operator Eagle Crest last month because the latter failed to comply with the post-approval requirements.
Of the eight financiers identified, the third and fourth districts have two each, one each in the first, second and fifth districts and another one from Iloilo City encroaching in the province.
However, Tayaba said that none of them have yet to be apprehended because the police “do not have direct evidence” against them.
“We managed to come up with these information based on intel (intelligence report) and other dictating reports that we manage to get from those people arrested by our forces,” he said.
Tayaba said that he already directed all chiefs of police in the municipalities to talk to these identified financiers to stop their operations.
Since the legal STL stopped its operation, 68 “bookies” bet collectors were apprehended in the province, Tayaba said.
He assured that they are relentlessly apprehending illegal gamblers.
Meantime, the SP agreed that the Committee on Games and Amusement, chaired by board member Emmanuel Gallar, to conduct deep investigation on the illegal gambling issue and come up with recommendations to address the problem. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
