Lingayen — After the public was left wondering why no arrests have been made in connection with the confiscation of illegal gambling machines in the province; the police say it will start arresting operators, but not yet. 

According to Chief Inspector Harris Fama, newly designated Police Community Relations Officer, the police are now studying the possibility of filing charges against owners of stores and houses from where the illegal gambling machines called “hataw” and fruit games called “ameneng” were seized. 

He admitted, that based on reports of police chiefs, not even one operator of these gambling machine was arrested. 

In explaining the unusual manner with which the law was enforced in this regard, Fama said that all the police chiefs’ reports indicated that most of the illegal gambling machines were abandoned in some areas by their operators whose identities are still unknown.  

Fama said that Police Provincial Director Alan Purisima has directed a study to determine the possibility of filing charges against the known owners of stores, houses and establishments from whom the illegal gambling machines were seized. 

This strategy, he said, could compel store or establishment owners to name the operators. 

The police have also called upon communities to report to the nearest police station the identities of the gambling machine operators so they could be arrested and charged in court. 

Fama took over the position vacated by Supt. Ricardo Tamayo who was promoted to deputy provincial director for operations. 

However, Fama remains as head of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force in a concurrent capacity. – APE 

 

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