Mayor orders creation of ‘super body’ vs gambling

Baguio City Police Office Deputy Director for Operations Supt. Andrew Cayad explains lapses of police precincts during a media forum which include blotters not made due to non-functioning computers and lack of bond papers. Also in the photo: (L-R) BCPO information officer SPO4 Viyo Hidalgo, deputy director for Administration Supt. Constancio Chinayog, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group assistant chief Senior. Supt. Ricardo Silab and Highway Patrol Group regional head Senior Supt Vladimir Kahulugan. Photo by Redjie Melvic Cawis

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan here ordered the creation of a multi-agency super body to stop proliferation of numerous forms of illegal gambling like jueteng in the city.

Domogan signed Administrative Order No. 126 organizing the “Task force on just and unified peoples initiative to eradicate rampant illegal gambling in the city of Baguio” after receiving constant reports on the proliferation of illegal gambling all over the city.

Under Domogan’s order, the task force is empowered to advocate citywide eradication of illegal gambling, gather information on the proliferation of illegal gambling in the city, formulate plan of action to dismantle illegal gambling activities and exercise general powers to make arrests, search and seizures in accordance with the Constitution and pertinent laws.

Furthermore, the task force will enforce all laws and ordinances related to anti-gambling, investigate and prevent crimes, effect the arrest of offenders, bring offenders to justice and assist in their prosecution, formulate and develop recommendations to support local legislations relative to the control and eradication of illegal gambling, recommend alternative economic programs for the community and discuss polices and recommendations as may be raised at the technical and operations levels.

Domogan admitted illegal gambling is one of the concerns that degrade public morals, breeds corruption among government officials and is a major contributor in the deterioration of quality of life of people.

Section I (a) 1. Of Presidential Decree 602 defines illegal gambling as “any illegal or unauthorized activities of cockfighting, jueteng, jai alai or horse racing to include bookie operations and game fixing, numbers, bingo and other forms of lotteries; Caray Cruz, Pompiang and the like; 7-11 and any game using dice; black jack, lucky 9, poker and its derivatives, monte, baccarat Cuajao, Panggungue and other card games among others.”

Task Force Jupiter shall be composed of the city mayor as chairman; DILG city director as action officer and members of the advocacy sector, operations team and interested members.

The advocacy sector will be composed of representatives from the private sector, religious sector, office of the city mayor, office of the congressman, Bureau of Jail Management and penology, Baguio City Police Office and the National Police Commission in the Cordillera.

At the same time, the operations team will be composed of representatives from the Baguio police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, National Bureau of Investigation, office of the city mayor, office of the congressman and Patrol 117.

Domogan said there is an urgent need for the city government, line agencies, community and other stakeholders concerned to eradicate all forms of gambling in the city.

According to him, illegal gambling undermine efforts of the city government to strengthen ethical standards and institutionalize good governance so people will trust the bureaucracy to curb evils in the society.