QC cops taking cuts from drag race bets?

Quezon City Fourth District Councilor Ariel Inton Jr. is asking Central Police District director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Tor to look into reports that some policemen are taking a cut on bets of nightly illegal drag races held in at least two thoroughfares in the city.

Inton said he gathered the information from the youths who were taking part in drag races along Mindanao Avenue and Libis district.

"They say that the policemen were getting as much as 20 percent in commissions from winning bets," said Inton, who has teamed up with the city’s Liquor Licensing and Regulatory Board (LLRB) to monitor gasoline stations with convenience stores which have become staging points for the dangerous races. "No wonder we couldn’t get policemen to help us enforce the law."

The LLRB has warned owners of two gasoline stations along Mindanao Avenue for selling liquor to minors through their convenience stores. "This is a dangerous combination – liquor and the youth’s adrenaline in life-threatening races," said the city councilor, who has already noted a number of fatal accidents connected with the illegal activity. Sometimes, he added, brawls break out between competing parties. "One recent incident brought to my attention involved a son of a former regional trial court judge who was beaten up during a drag race," he said.

The races, which mostly involve affluent youths, take place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to the city councilor. As many as 200 young people congregate to watch the drag races and place bets on contestants, who run a designated short stretch of the road at top speed, each aiming to get first to the finish line. The bets range from as low as P3,000 to as high as P20,000 per race.

The illegal activity continues right under the nose of police authorities. Residents in nearby communities have been complaining of the noise generated by the racing cars. Inton said he visited one racing site in Libis last Saturday and saw how much traffic it caused. Barangay officials are apparently powerless to stop this dangerous preoccupation of affluent youths, which has been going on for years.

The city councilor said he has talked with Tor about the incident and he got a commitment from the police general that the CPD would field a special unit to crack down on the illegal races.

"I told him about the reports I was getting and he said he was looking into it," Inton told The STAR. He also said that the CPD director, if resources permit, plans to put up sub-stations in the areas.