PNP-10 taps barangays leaders in fight vs. illegal gambling

Cagayan de Oro City – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to review the arrest procedures to prevent another mishap even as it called on all the barangay captains in Northern Mindanao to help in the campaign against illegal gambling.

This was the appeal of P/CSupt. Cecil Ezra Sandalo, Sr., Deputy Director for Administration of PNP, Region 10, during a recent meeting of the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RLECC) in Camp Alagar, this city.

“No illegal gambling activity in a community would prosper without the knowledge of the barangay captain, so we are appealing for their cooperation in the maintenance of peace and order as this is a community endeavor and not just the job of the PNP,” he said.

Sandalo said all that the barangay captains need to do is inform the police authorities of any illegal gambling activity that is going on in their areas so the necessary police action can be done.

Meanwhile, he said some P5.53 million worth of illegal gambling paraphernalia were confiscated by PNP-10 in the first quarter, this year.

A total of 182 operations against illegal gambling were conducted during the period resulting in the arrest of 95 individuals and the filing of cases in court against 58 of them.

The confiscated items included some 725 tally sheets used in the illegal numbers game, 218 units of the video karera machines and P69,633.75 cash used as bets.

The Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office (MOPPO) arrested the most number of 26 persons, followed by the Bukidnon PPO with 24 and Misamis Occidental PPO, 17.

Likewise, the Bukidnon PPO confiscated the most number of 278 tally sheets, followed by the Misamis Occidental PPO with 212 and the MOPPO with 154.

The most number of 104 video karera machines were confiscated by the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO), followed by Iligan City PO with 37, Misamis Occidental PPO and Police Regional Mobile Group (PRMG), 24 each and MOPPO, 23. (Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob)

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