Ilocos Sur town cop chief loses post over jueteng

CAMP FLORENDO, La Union, Philippines – The police chief of Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur was removed from his post yesterday due to the “one-strike policy” of the Philippine National Police on illegal gambling, particularly jueteng.

Chief Superintendent Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Region 1 police director, told The STAR that Chief Inspector Faustino Cogoy Bandao was relieved as police chief of Sta. Cruz town after the joint operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Gambling Task Force (RAIGTF) and Ilocos Sur police caught two jueteng personnel in the act of collecting bets last Thursday. 

Senior Superintendent Noel Amoyen, Ilocos Sur police director, signed the relief order of Bandao who was replaced by Inspector Alejandro Manzano Jr.

The arrested jueteng bet collectors were identified as Marvin Galinga, 35, and Jerry Mariano, 37, residents of Barangays Paratong and Villa Garcia, both in Sta. Cruz, respectively.

Confiscated from them were jueteng paraphernalia and about P1,000 in bet money.

A case for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (as amended by Republic Act 9287 or the Anti-Illegal Gambling Act) was filed yesterday against the two bet collectors. Bandao faces administrative charges.

“We are implementing this one-strike policy on illegal gambling because this is the campaign of our PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) Secretary Mar Roxas,” Bucayu said.