Police identify “hataw” operator
POLICE Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr., officer-in-charge at the Dagupan police, said a team has been created to monitor hataw (video karera) activities in the city.
Caramat said they are currently looking into a certain “Winston” who is believed to be the operator of hataw, an illegal gambling machine that attracts mostly young people, in the Bonuan area.
Caramat said they are now verifying his true identity whom they suspect to be a close relative of a city councilor here.
“Going against the operators, however, is not that as easy,” he said.
“We have to consider all legal considerations. We cannot just barge inside the suspect operator’s house without a search warrant.” Caramat explained saying the police could only employ the principle of the plain view doctrine or when it is in flagrante delicto.
Caramat expressed lament as he disagreed with the resolution authored by city Councilor Librada Fe Reyna strongly condemning “the proliferation of hataw and video carrera operators with impunity in the city and those similarly situated illegal gambling activities.”
Caramat said the Dagupan City police have not been remiss in its duty to crack down all forms of illegal gambling in the city.
“The PNP has been doing its best in its campaign against all forms of gambling. But the council must understand that our focus is not mainly on illegal gambling alone. It will take time before we can totally eradicate ‘hataw’ here,” he said.
“This form of gambling,” Caramat said, “has been here long before the Lim administration. I am just wondering why the council has taken notice of this only now.”
He added that the police also need the help of barangay officials who are in a better position to impose order in their respective areas.
Reyna passed two other similar resolutions strongly urging the PNP Dagupan Station, the punong barangays and the rest of barangays officials to apprehend the operators of “hataw”, video karera games, and other illegal gambling activities in the city.
She also strongly urged the Department of Education to strengthen the Parents-Teachers Association in each school and help in the campaign against illegal gambling.
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