The Police Regional Office (PRO) in Davao is implementing a one-strike policy against illegal gambling. Police commanders who fail to stop the illegal activity will be relieved from their posts.
Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales, the police regional director, said the policy will be strictly enforced on all police units under his command.
The war against illegal gambling is based on President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 13 that ordered the police and other law enforcement agencies to intensify its campaign to “put an end to illegal gambling activities.”
Morales said the station commander will be immediately relieved from their post if a unit from the PRO – the Regional Special Operations Group, the Regional Intelligence Division or the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – or from the national headquarters can stage a “successful” operation in their area of jurisdiction.
He said the city and provincial directors will also be ousted from their posts if there are three station commanders who will be relieved due to their failure to implement the war against illegal gambling.
“If they fail to stop, whatever their reasons are, then they must leave their post because we do not want the people to think that illegal gambling is perennial because of this imputation of ‘culture of corruption’ in the police force,” Morales sad.
He also said an administrative case will be filed against erring police commanders and directors.
Morales said they are expecting the proliferation of illegal gambling following the closure of some government-approved gambling operations such as Small Town Lottery (STL).
“People will always find ways to gamble,” Morales said. “Gambling has been part of our culture, however, we must not forget that we have laws in the land to obey.”
“If it is illegal, we will enforce the law as we are mandated to do so.”
Morales is urging the public to report illegal gambling activities in their communities through PRO11 Hotline Number (09985987026), or its Facebook accounts (Pulis Rehiyon Onse II and Police Regional Office 11).
