CEBU - Police chiefs in the province signed the other day a covenant to eradicate illegal gambling, staking their posts if they cannot accomplish that goal.
But the signing lacked both spirit and substance and may have been grudgingly done.
At least one police chief from one of the southern towns was so sure that illegal gambling could never be eliminated that he is even willing to stake his manhood on the outcome of the police campaign.
This police chief, a superintendent, said he is willing to undergo a sex change if the police can totally eliminate illegal gambling.
The covenant signing was in compliance with a directive from Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Acop, the Philippine National Police director for personnel and records management.
Despite their reservations about succeeding, the police chiefs still signed the covenant to comply with the directive.
The police chief, who is willing to undergo a sex change if the police crackdown on illegal gambling succeeds, said the covenant signing was a mere ceremony.
He said illegal gambling such as masiao and video carera will continue to flourish in the province.
"We have signed several covenants before but illegal gambling was never stopped and has not been stopped, " he told reporters.
Another police chief, also from a southern town, said even Superman cannot stop illegal gambling.
According to earlier reports, some police officials and officers are on the take from operators of illegal gambling joints, but that only a few have been arrested or charged.
One P03 Rudy Camay of the PNP regional medical center at Camp Sotero Cabahug now faces summary dismissal proceedings over accusations that he was financing masiao operations.
Video carera operations are again flourishing after two ceremonial burnings of confiscated machines which, some police chiefs said, were done merely to comply with a directive from PNP chief Director General Panfilo Lacson.