Anti-gambling NIR police director denies favoritism

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, director of the Police Regional Office-18 (Negros Island Region), debunked claims of practicing "favoritism" in the police campaign against illegal gambling.

Gumban said those complaining against him are financiers of illegal gambling before, whose operations he had ordered stopped.

Gumban said it was not true, and that all of  the financiers of  illegal gambling have been ordered to stop, except for the Super Lucky Beagler and Five Star, which had been authorized by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to operate Small Town Lottery operations in Negros Occidental and Oriental, respectively.

"Those who will file a case against me will be sued for libel," Gumban said, stressing that those accusations against him are not true. "Our accomplishments in anti-illegal gambling operations speak for themselves," he said.

Of  the three financiers of  illegal gambling in Negros Occidental, Gumban said two of them already stopped their operations, but the other one continues to defy the police crackdown.

Gumban said chiefs of police who do not perform well in the drive against illegal gambling will be relieved from their positions.

The anti-crime group Task Force Crusaders for Democracy Inc. (TFCDI) –under the Office of  the Solicitor General – earlier called on PNP Chief  Director General Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa, to conduct an independent probe on the alleged links to illegal gambling of two top police officials in the NIR.

While withholding the identities of the two top police officials, John Chiong, national deputy commander of  TFCDI, said in his letter to de la Rosa that illegal gambling continues to flourish, despite the warning of President Rodrigo Duterte for the PRO-18 to stop it.

Chiong called on de la Rosa to conduct an investigation from the regional level to city police stations, on why illegal gambling continues to flourish, with alleged protection by the two top police officials. He also noted that the known jueteng operators are also involved in the illegal drug trade.

Gumban ordered police chiefs to "hit" financiers of illegal gambling, who had initially stopped their operations, but later resumed by changing the names of their gambling outfits. (FREEMAN)