Peña orders daily raids vs jueteng

The five police district directors may have greatly "neutralized" jueteng in Metro Manila but Deputy Director General Romeo Peña, head of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), appeared not satisfied.

And to completely stop jueteng operations, Peña ordered the police to conduct daily raids to harass operators and bet collectors and keep them away from the streets.

"At the rate we are going, those in the lower ranks are doing their jobs," said Peña in a telephone interview. "But the standards I’ve set have not been met."

Reports reaching Peña showed that Metro Manila’s jueteng king, Tony Santos, continues plying his illegal business despite the recent arrest of 28 personnel and bet collectors in separate raids.

However, Peña vowed that nobody would be spared in his illegal gambling drive, including Santos, who is based in Barangay Sta. Elena, Marikina City.

Chief Superintendent Simeon Dizon Jr., Eastern Police District (EPD) director, put under surveillance the vicinity of the Our Lady of the Abandoned church in Sta. Elena, allegedly used by Santos as "take-off" point of his operations.

Police intelligence reports showed that Santos is collecting bets in Metro Manila but draws his jueteng winning combinations in Laguna, Cavite and Rizal provinces.

Dizon coordinated with Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes, Police Regional Office 4 (PRO4), to monitor the said areas, including Cupang, Antipolo City, where Santos trains personnel for 15 days prior to deployment and a tennis court in Cainta, Rizal, with the jueteng king’s communications center.

In southern Metro Manila, Chief Superintendent Manuel Cabigon, Southern Police District (SPD) director ordered a raid in an area in Malibay, Pasay City where Santos was monitored drawing jueteng winning combinations.

Earlier, Peña warned precinct commanders of relief once they are found remiss in their duties. "Two strikes and they’re out," he told the precinct commanders’ superior officers during a recent meeting. – Non Alquitran