CIDG-7 to head anti-gambling operations

After so much confusion as to who will lead the operation against illegal gambling activities in the country, the Philippine National Police higher echelons ordered the reactivation of Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Operations Task Force formerly headed by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

In the memorandum dated July 11, 2006, Chief PNP director Oscar Calderon said to appropriately address the illegal gambling problem the AIG-SOTF under the leadership of the CIDG must be called back into action.

Compared to NHQ-SOTF, the AIG-SOTF has more manpower and capability to operate in local areas since the CIDG regional, provincial, city and municipal units have their own operatives in their respected areas of responsibility.

The defunct NHQ-SOTF men were ordered back to their mother units and offices effective July 11.

The Regional AIG-SOTF with its local units in provincial, city and municipal levels will serve as the main operating arm in their areas of responsibility, the memorandum said.

The "three strikes" policy shall be strictly implemented against local police commander who fails to cooperate with the group, the memorandum added. According to the policy, if the CIDG-7 is able to conduct three successful operations against gambling in a certain area, the police chief of that area will be relieved.

S/Supt. Jorge Corpuz of the CIDG-7 said that although there were confusions lately as to who will lead the operations against illegal gambling, the CIDG-7 did not stop on their operations and promised to intensify their operations. - Edwin Ian Melecio