Belen cracks down on “hataw”
MAYOR Belen Fernandez spearheaded last week the public destruction of seven gambling machines and ordered Supt. Christopher Abrahano, city police chief, to get rid of all illegal video gambling machines to make Dagupan City “totally hataw-free”.
The seven machines, locally known as hataw, were seized by lawmen last Monday from the Malimgas Public Market, Dagupan Fish Market and the Magsaysay Market near Melee’s Restaurant.
Abrahano said the supposed operators of these gambling machines were able to flee and are now the object of a police operation.
“This is just the start,” said Fernandez, noting that during her previous position as vice mayor, she already urged the police to wage a drive against these illegal machines but her call went unheeded.
Fernandez said these game machines are a bane to the youth, citing the case of a girl who was molested by the operator of the banned machines from whom she borrowed money to sustain her addiction.
“When I was still vice mayor, many parents were complaining but we were helpless as the official higher than me refused to act… This time, we will mean business,” Fernandez said.
The mayor said only a few of these video gambling machines have so far been rounded up and a bigger number are still being operated around the city.
Some of these were reported operating in Barangay Bonuan Binloc.
Fernandez said with the help of the police, her administration is determined to fully eliminate the existence of these gambling machines in Dagupan.
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