Rama Wants Police to Intensify Campaign Vs. Drugs, Gambling

Mayor Mike Rama, who is now in the United States for a month-long vacation, has directed the policemen in the city to intensify the campaign against illegal drugs and gambling machines.

The mayor has received reports that the ‘video karera’ gambling machines are rampant in several barangays in Cebu City and that most of the barangay captains are not doing their jobs to curb these activities.

Reports said the failure of the barangay chiefs to make campaign against the rampant operations of video karera machines in their barangays, raised speculations that some of these officials are believed to be in cahoots with the operators of these gambling machines.

Rama said the barangay officials are receiving additional monthly honorariums from the City Hall, P5,000 for the barangay captains and P3,000 for the councilmen, that is why they should help the city and the police to curb any illegal activities in the respective areas.

“Kinahanglan nga molihok ang mga polis ug ang mga opisyal sa barangay aron pagsumpo sa illegal gambling ug illegal nga drugas,” the mayor said. Section 63 of Republic Act 8551 provides that “the control and supervision of anti-gambling operations shall be within the jurisdiction of local government executives.”

The mayor has advised Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella to discuss the matter with Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Noli Romana and to the other members of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC).

After the media informed Romana of the presence of video karera machines operating near the barangay hall of Pahina San Nicolas, he immediately directed the chief of Police Station-6 based in Barangay Sawang Calero to confiscate the gambling machines, which resulted to the confiscation of two video karera and two ‘moli-moli’ machines.

Reports had it that there are several video karera machines being operated in many houses near the Fish Port in Barangay Suba, at Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita, in Barangay Pasil and at the back of Blessed Sacrament in Barangay Tejero.

The campaign against video karera machines and other illegal kinds of gambling in Cebu City and other parts of the region was intensified during the stint of then Police Regional Office (PRO) director Marcelo Garbo. The campaign prompted some of the gambling operators, particularly masiao, to met with Garbo informing the latter they would stop their illegal activities.

But when Garbo was reassigned to Camp Crame, the gambling operators reportedly revived their illegal activities.

Rama said aside from illegal gambling, the police should also intensify the campaign against illegal drugs, which are also rampant in almost all barangays of the city.

Image Credit: dzrhnews.com