Friday, June 13, 2008 ABCs out to rid Baguio of illegal gambling
THE Association of Barangay Councils (ABCs) of Baguio has started an all-out campaign against illegal gambling in the city this week.
According to ABC president and Councilor Joel Alangsab, this was to support Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr's move to eradicate illegal gambling like jueteng and monte here.
"We hope to replace these illegal gambling operations with legal gambling, in the form of the Bingo sa Barangay, which will benefit participating barangays of Baguio," he explained.
On Monday afternoon, Alangsab, together with a group of other barangay leaders, visited three suspected jueteng stations in Baguio located at Upper Rock Quarry, City Camp Alley and the one barangay, which is just a stone's throw away from Trancoville and Alfonso Tabora barangay halls and Station 2 of the Baguio City Police Office.
"The jueteng operations continued, even after we arrived in the Upper Rock Quarry jueteng station at 4 p.m., but we could feel the tension of the illegal gambling personnel there," he said.
Alangsab said they visited the alleged jueteng stations after they were informed by their Bingo sa Barangay collectors that they were being harassed by jueteng personnel while making their rounds on the barangays.
Bautista reiterated his stand against all forms of illegal gambling with his recent issuance of a closure order against a bingo fund-raising operation at Otek Street recently.
The mayor said operatives of the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) confiscated gambling paraphernalia and almost P3,000 in bet money from operators there.
In a letter to Bautista on April 21, Barangay Rizal Monument chairman Marcelo Sabado admitted approval of Barangay Resolution 4-2008, allowing the operation of a "bingo social" and "kiddie carnival" for two months starting late April.
Sabado claimed this was "to raise funds for their fiesta, and to purchase equipment and supplies for their barangay."
In a separate letter to Councilor Galo Weygan dated April 25, Sabado also pointed out the activity was approved in accordance with provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code.
The provision Sabado alluded states that "(barangays are empowered to) hold fund-raising activities for barangay projects without the need of securing permits from any national or local office or agency."
Also last month, proponents of the small-town lottery (STL) tried to get the council's okay when they presented before the councilors their idea of operating STL in Baguio.
Some observers say the ABC is supportive of the STL when they "visited" the alleged jueteng stations this week. (ENO/IL)
