IN a response to the president’s call to eliminate illegal gambling off the streets, more than 300 video carrera and mole-mole machines were destroyed in a mass destruction ceremony in the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) headquarters yesterday.

CCPO Director Joel Doria said that worried mothers have reported to police about the existence of video carrera and mole-mole machines in their areas.

“Pag may mga reports ng magulang, sa tingin nila na nalulong yung anak nila sa illegal gambling, i-no-operate natin (Parents worry that their children are now hooked to illegal gambling, so we conduct operations),” he said.

Doria said that the proper disposal of the illegal gambling machines will be done by the Cebu Common Treatment Facility Incorporated.

“We should consider our environment because there are toxic components in these machines. And these are disposed at the expense of CCPO,” he said.

He said that there was a noticeable decrease in the units confiscated by the police compared before.

“Before, we get to seize around 10 machines. Now, it’s just two or three units,” he said.

Ronnel Botardo, general manager of the treatment facility, said that they supported the organization’s campaign against illegal gambling while still considering the harmful effects of improper disposal of the machines.

“There are dangerous chemicals like lead inside these machines. That’s where our company comes in by properly disposing these machines. Some of these parts, we ship to Japan,” Botardo said. (JOB)