MORE ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING

LINGAYEN–The Sangguniang Panlalawigan expects to get more detailed responses and clarifications from the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) on the status of its anti-illegal gambling operations in Pangasinan since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the crackdown on all illegal gambling nationwide.

Sixth District Board Member Noel Bince said P/Sr. Supt. Ronald Lee, acting police provincial director, has been invited to this week’s regular session to brief the board on how police campaign against illegal gambling has been proceeding in the province.

The invitation was prompted by reports that only drop ball, card games,”hataw” or fruit games are being raided by the police in various towns of Pangasinan but the operations of ‘jai-teng’ (jai-alai-cum-jueteng) are being spared as revealed by Deputy Police Provincial Director Jackie Candelario.

Candelario told local media that the operations of off-fronton jai-alai are covered by a court-issued temporary restraining order (TRO).

On account of the invoked 60-day TRO in July 2011, off-fronton jai-alai betting stations were allowed by local governments in Pangasinan to operate since 2011.

Bince, who is reportedly in favor of the entry of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Pangasinan, said he will seek clarification on effect and coverage of the TRO being invoked to protect jai-alai operations in the province.

It will be recalled that the DILG (Dept. of Interior and Local Gov’t) and DOJ (Dept. of Justice) in June 2011 had claimed that the off-fronton betting stations were actually a front for jueteng operations in the province, hence the word “jai-teng.”

The reported TRO invoked by the Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation was a 60-day TRO issued by CA’s Special Sixth Division on July 22, 2011 to prevent the DOJ and DILG from enforcing a joint memorandum order directing law enforcement bodies to crack down on illegal jai-alai operations.

On October 13, 2011, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), however, said it has not issued any permit or license to operate the jai-alai off-fronton betting firms and issued a cease-and-desist order against MVGC’s operations allegedly involved in illegal gambling operations.

GAB clarified that the DILG-PNP could conduct raids against MVGC betting stations and that the DILG can issue a memorandum circular to all local government units (LGUs) that MVGC does not have the appropriate license from GAB to operate.

The Court of Appeals had upheld the legality of the GAB’s cease-and-desist order (CDO) against MVGC’s jail-alai off-fronton betting operations via a decision dated August 18, 2011 in CA-G.R. No. 119842.

Bince, a lawyer and former provincial prosecutor of Pangasinan, told newsmen he is in favor of the crackdown against all illegal gambling activities provincewide, except those that are legal. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments