CEBU CITY – The Cebu City police on Wednesday urged barangay officials to cooperate with the authorities in reporting the presence of booths illegally accepting bets for small-town lottery (STL) in the villages.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) deputy chief for operations, Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, said barangay officials have the actual knowledge on the placement of booths operating the illegal numbers game.
“Mas dali sa atuang kapolisan ug PROBE (Prevention, Restoration, Beautification and Enhancement team) pag-adto ug pagresponde kung asa ni dapita, kung aduna tay abag sa atong kabarangayan (It is easier for our police and PROBE to deploy and respond to where if we have assistance from our barangays),” Parilla said in a press conference.
Mayor Edgardo Labella on Tuesday ordered PROBE team head Raquel Arce to demolish small booths proliferating in the villages, illegally accepting bets from patrons of STL.
This came after Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma visited Cebu over the weekend to inform Labella about the illegal numbers game operating in the city.
The PCSO chief earlier said the cities of Mandaue and Cebu have no STL operators registered with her office.
The PCSO is losing PHP12 million a day because of illegal STL operations in Mandaue and Cebu City, she noted.
In previous weeks, different stations under the CCPO arrested several personalities involved in illegal STL operations in villages here, Parilla said.
He assured that the police are continuously monitoring villages and apprehend booth attendants and bettors.
The police will also provide security assistance to PROBE personnel demolishing STL booths. (PNA)
