Top cop tags 11 Iloilo towns as 'illegal gambling haven'
Eleven of Iloilo's 42 towns are haven of illegal gambling with alleged confirmed operations here of “First 2” and “Daily Double.” Even the government's Small Town Lottery (STL) was included as among the “illegals” and classified as such by no less than Iloilo's top cop.
Number one on the police list is a Northern Iloilo town belonging to the district of Governor Niel Tupas. Incidentally, the Tupas administration has since declared a no-nonsense battle against illegal gambling and at one point, declared victory.
The illegal gambling report was disclosed by Senior Superintendent Ricardo Dela Paz, director of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) over Bombo Radyo Iloilo.
Bankrolling the illegal gambling operation in the Fifth District is a bigtime local with operations mostly in the town of Ajuy, Iloilo.
Other affected Iloilo towns, Dela Paz told said radio station are Southern Iloilo towns of Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal and Miag-ao in the First District. Second District towns of Pavia and Sta. Barbara likewise made it in the list alongside Central Iloilo towns of Cabatuan, Pototan, Janiuay and Lambunao.
The governor, Dela Paz added, is alarmed over the resurgence thus the crackdown in these towns.