Illegal gambling persists in 80% of Iloilo brgys claims Liga exec
Illegal gambling persists in 80 per cent of all Iloilo barangays. That is, if what is used as basis for the term illegal gambling is what is provided in the Anti-illegal Gambling Law, says Board Member Angelo Briones, president of the Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay.
Thus, it is misleading to say that Iloilo is "gambling free" if what is referred to only is jueteng or daily double, Briones added.
Yet, Briones said, Governor Niel Tupas may still be right in his pronouncements of Iloilo being "gambling free," that is, if and only if, the scenario is based on illegal numbers game.
Briones said in his rounds and personal knowledge, reality is that card games and 'high-stakes' mahjong persist in the community with bets ranging from hundreds of pesos to thousands.
In certain towns, said Liga president disclosed of daily games where even police personnel and town officials engage in the gambling.
Private homes and business establishments also play host to said activity which Briones stressed has already ceased to be for relaxation purposes.
"Let us be honest about it. Illegal gambling is still prevalent in the barangays. It may not be organized but Governor Tupas needs to see the classification of "illegal gambling" as provided by the law. It is not only jueteng or daily double. The card games and bigtime mahjong, it is also illegal gambling when played by more than five tables and daily as in the case of a lot of houses in many towns," Briones added.
Meantime, it is a better picture for the illegal drug scenario where Briones acknowledged a significant decrease in both trade and proliferation. Majority of the barangays he said have seen a remarkable improvement with barangay-based drug campaigns embraced by the locals.
"Plus the people have no money for that. It has become an expensive commodity and that is one of the main factors too, the poverty in the barangays," he added.