The solon of the 3rd congressional district of Negros Oriental has expressed his all-out support to the government’s campaign against illegal gambling, as he vowed to do his share as Congressman to make a report on the matter before authorities in Manila.
Rep. Arnulfo Teves Jr. has divulged names of individuals whom he described as “untouchables” in the illegal numbers game in Negros Oriental, and expressed dismay for the absence of the police provincial director in the dialogue called for by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office over the weekend in Dumaguete.
According to the Congressman, he is looking for answers if the one strike policy of the Philippine National Police is being implemented in cities and municipalities where illegal gambling is rampant and no action is undertaken by concerned units.
The 3rd District Solon, however, refused to publicly divulge the full names of the so-called untouchables, but assured he will do it in a proper forum, as provided for in RA 9287.
He stressed it is the franchise holder that has the responsibility of reporting this matter to the concerned agencies.
Teves mentioned the names of “Benny,” “Tam”, “Barrera,” and “Arsenio,” whom he said continue to operate the illegal numbers game swertres despite the operation of Small Town Lottery, a government-sanctioned gambling operation.
PCSO branch manager Belena Alvarez has confirmed that all the mayors and chiefs of police all over the Province, including the Provincial Director, were invited to the dialogue, but none of them came, except for about five non-commissioned police officers, including a representative of Acting Provincial PNP Director Sr. Supt Henry Biñas.
Present during the dialogue were Abraham Urubio, chief of staff of PCSO chair Jose Jorge Corpuz; Federico Damole of PCSO Visayas; Miguel Fraginal, PCSO executive assistant; Christopher Santiago of Four Aces Resources Management Group Corp., Congressman Teves.
In a phone interview, Biñas said he received the invitation late Friday through the secretary, but that he had an equally-important prior commitment and visitors the next day.
He said the names reported by Congressman Teves are being validated and verified in assuring the 3rd District solon that the police is doing its best and in fact, continue to make arrests.
According to PCSO branch manager Alvarez, the dialogue with the police and the local government units was aimed at threshing out details of the law, so that there will be no arrests involving ushers and employees of the STL operator who are wearing identification cards.
STL national coordinator Abraham Urubio said the dialogue would have clarified the mechanisms and the process on how STL operates, but lamented that only a few were present.
He assured Teves of a report about the personalities he mentioned through the local branch officer in Dumaguete.
Urubio said Four Aces is exempted from getting permits from the local government units where it operates as provided for in the law.
Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Atty. Richard Enojo said the provincial government did not receive any official communication about the dialogue with the PCSO, per records of the Vapitol.
But when asked about the legality of STL, Enojo stressed they can operate wherever they want but it does not mean to also ignore regulations as provided for in the Local Government Code.
While they have the privilege to operate nationwide, they still have to comply with local requirements, he said.
An example is compliance of Provincial Ordinance No. 4 whose validity has been tested and sustained up to the Court of Appeals in several lotto cases filed against the province.
Provincial Ordinance No. 4 has never been amended or revoked, he pointed out.
As regards the wearing of big ID cards by employees of the STL operator in the province, Enojo made it clear arrests will be made if they refused to comply with local ordinances including Provincial Ordinance No. 4. (Juancho Gallarde)
