POLICE regional director Chief Superintendent Timoteo Pacleb has ordered all policemen on the ground not to loosen the drive against illegal gambling.
Pacleb directed all unit commanders to sustain the police's efforts to reduce, if not totally stop, illegal gambling activities across Northern Mindanao.
"The PNP is doing our best efforts to reduce it, if not totally stop illegal gambling, especially illegal number games," Pacleb said.
Data from the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-Northern Mindanao) showed that around 570 people were arrested for violation of illegal gambling-related laws during the first semester.
The number went up compared to 215 apprehensions for the same period last year.
In Cagayan de Oro City, 187 people were arrested in 116 anti-gambling operations from January to June, this year. 110 cases were filed in court.
PRO-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Superintendent Surki Serenas said the police is not setting aside the campaign against illegal gambling while at the same time carrying out the drug war and anti-criminality and terrorism efforts.
"We cannot say that illegal gambling no longer exist in Northern Mindanao because of people's propensity to gamble. People will always find ways to fight boredom or find ways to entertain themselves; even spiders are betted on and that is illegal gambling," Serenas said.
"The PNP is continuously doing its mandate as to the enforcement of laws pertaining to illegal gambling. Our anti-illegal gambling campaign will be sustained until we have gotten rid of the last violators of this law," he added.