The National Capital Region Police Office on Tuesday ordered police officers to arrest owners of establishments with “video karera” (horse racing video game) machines during operations.
This followed an order from Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday to QC Police District’s Col. Ronnie Montejo to run after illegal gambling operations in the city.
NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, in a press briefing at the QCPD, said the mere confiscation of these machines alone is not enough.
“The owner of the establishments housing these machines should also be charged. For example, the machines were in a store. The store owner should also be arrested, probed and charged,” Sinas said.
Sinas said those leasing their spaces to video karera operators get a huge profit from this activity.
“Most of the stores allow it because as per our source, they received 20 percent of the total profit. It is really big and yet they still deny it,” he said.
Meanwhile, QCPD chief Montejo denied that illegal gambling is rampant in the city, noting that authorities are strictly implementing rules against it.
Montejo made the remark after Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said he received information about alleged rampant illegal gambling operations in Quezon City.
Montejo said he already met with Mayor Belmonte and barangay officials to intensify the campaign in curbing illegal gambling in the city.
From Oct. 12, 2019 to Jan. 19, 2020, Sinas said the five Metro Manila police districts confiscated a total of P1,508,658 cash from 2,587 operations against various forms of illegal gambling, including video karera, and arrested 7,926 persons.
The five districts covered by the NCRPO are the Manila Police District, Quezon City Police District, Northern Police District, Southern Police District, and Eastern Police District.
“I don’t think it is rampant and of course, we do not stop in performing our duty to arrest illegal gambling operators,” Montejo said during press briefing held QCPD Station 10.
Montejo encouraged the public to report to authorities if they know illegal gambling operations in the area so that the police can immediately respond to it.
Gamboa earlier ordered a one-strike policy among police officials who would fail to stop illegal gambling operations in their areas of jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac clarified that Montejo is not being singled out in Gamboa’s directive.
He said the fight against illegal gambling would be one of the priorities of the police force in the coming months.
Banac also clarified the PNP chief’s directive is simply a warning for all police officers to perform better in their jobs.