LOTTENG OPERATIONS
Mayors dare Defensor to show proof

By Florence F. Hibionada

The mayors of two Iloilo towns included in the recent “lotteng-affected” list came out and expressed surprise over the report.

For Guimbal Mayor Richard Garin, hearing the police pronouncement in the media even before he was officially apprised of his town's inclusion was enough to raise more doubts. In this, Mayor Garin told The News Today , he feels it more than necessary to get hold of the intelligence report.

“And they should tell us who these people are so we can arrest them. Pero sang sa mag-illegal gambling sila nga pakawat-kawat man lang bala, baligya na lang bi sila ice cream? (instead of illegal gambling, why don't they sell ice cream?),” Garin jested , saying “because while we admit there maybe those we would go around and collect bets as their supposed intelligence report stated, then I will also say that my own intelligence report revealed that the draws are being conducted in the next town.”

Guimbal was among the First District towns identified to be “lotteng-affected” on a “very minimal” range.

“We are busy in Guimbal trying to keep our titles and awards as being the most business friendly, most child-friendly municipality, most peaceful town, citations for both local and national taxation and as Iloilo's tourist destination. If illegal-gambling is tolerated much less allowed, all our efforts will be wasted so I hope the report can be validated but we are taking this information seriously,” Garin continued. “Kag indi bala nagdeklarar na si Governor Niel Tupas nga jueteng-free kita? So how can all these happen still?”

Similar contention from Oton Mayor Carina Flores who likewise expressed surprise over the matter and asked the same question on the governor's declaration of a “jueteng-free Iloilo.”

Reached by Bombo Radyo Saturday, Flores said there is no denying of the “very minimal” illegal gambling activities in Oton. She stressed though that such gambling activities “was and is never tolerated under my administration. I have always felt strongly against illegal gambling.”

The lady mayor was also asked to react on reports that her husband, former Mayor Totic Flores bankrolls the illegal gambling game operations.

“Preposterous! Very preposterous! People in Oton know my husband is not into that,” she stressed.

Earlier, Senior Supt. Cornelio Defensor, Deputy Director for Operations said that random operations of illegal numbers game “lotteng” continue in twelve towns in Iloilo.

He identified these towns as Oton, Tigbauan and Guimbal in the First District; parts of Pavia in the Second District; the towns of Cabatuan and Janiuay in the Third District.

Reports of such operations also persist in the municipalities of Dumangas and Barotac Nuevo though Defensor said, “total stop” was monitored in the last two weeks. Betting continues too in the towns of Sara, San Dionisio, Batad and Estancia, reason why according to the IPPO Deputy Director, the various police town chiefs are reminded “from time to time” to be aggressive in its anti-illegal gambling drive.