EDITORIAL - The fight against illegal gambling

Policemen finally scored big in the intensified battle against illegal gambling. This after a suspected gambling financier was arrested during an operation by the Regional Special Operation Group in Barangay Pasil in Cebu City last Sunday.

Randy Boliboli was arrested together with 10 others when police swooped down on his house along Rallos Street. An estimated P150,000 worth of illegal numbers game paraphernalia were confiscated during the raid.

Boliboli denied owning the seized gambling materials, saying he already stopped his operations. But police said he returned to his illegal activities early this year after he surrendered to then Police Regional Office-7 director Marcelo Garbo.  

Police authorities see the arrest of Boliboli as a big blow to the illegal gambling operations not only in the city but in nearby areas since his operations, according to Senior Supt. Edward Carranza, extend to some areas in the province.

While Cebuanos commend the police for neutralizing another bigtime gambling financier, let us hope that their success will continue for the total eradication of all forms of gambling in the province.

We do hope that this latest development will send a strong warning to other gambling operators across the province for them to know that there has been no letup in the campaign against this kind of vice.

Eradicating the illegal gambling is certainly a monumental task for the police. This is because some operators have connections with those in the government. It is undeniable that many gambling financiers are helping politicians win elections.

Of course, these politicians would always do everything to protect their patrons if they do not want to lose financial backers during elections. This is certainly a big problem for the police.     

But if our authorities are really serious in their campaign, they should do whatever it takes to once and for all eradicate the illegal gambling in the province.