Next In Line: Illegal Gambling
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa have announced on Thursday the government will be declaring war against illegal gambling after a run on illegal drugs.
In a report by Philstar, PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa said authorities will be shifting its sight over the illegal gambling activities in the country.
“With the President’s call for change in the country, there will yet be no end to wars we are waging. Because after we are done with the war against illegal drugs, in six months, we will shift our sights to eradicating illegal gambling in the country,” said Dela Rosa as quoted in the report.
According to Dela Rosa, the PNP will be giving more emphasis on these operations just like what they did to the war on drugs.
“While this is already a part of police operations, we will be giving more life and energy to these operations, the same way we did with our campaign against illegal drugs,” he said in his speech at Camp General Simeon Ola in Albay.
The PNP Chief also advised policemen to refrain from receiving money from illegal gambling operators as their “hands will be tied.”
It has been reported that Dela Rosa declined millions of Pesos worth of bribe money from gambling syndicates as Duterte has warned him that the money he will receive will “tie his hands” and will prevent him from doing his job.
He even mentioned incidents wherein some police officers can’t do their job well in implementing the campaign against illegal drugs as the same syndicates who gave them money from illegal gambling were the same personalities.
“They did not know that those behind the illegal gambling are also behind the illegal drugs,” he said.
According to the report, Dela Rosa said that during his speech that the incoming campaign against illegal gambling will be as “fierce” as what happened during the war on drugs.
But one thing that bothers the Dela Rosa: the cooperation of the public in the campaign against illegal gambling as other people get their living through these activities.
“Although that is illegal… many lives depend (on illegal gambling)…If you are involved in gambling, your brain will not shrink. You’re still sane. But your moral values (are compromised) because that’s illegal, against the law,” Dela Rosa said as quoted in the report.