AN OFFICIAL of the Misamis Oriental-Cagayan de Oro Lotto Agents Association, Inc. (MOCLAAI) said they will find a way to go after illegal gambling operations if the City Government fails to create an anti-illegal gambling task force by Friday, October 14.
Moclaai president Astrid Bana said until now the City Council committee on games and amusement chaired by Councilor Zaldy Ocon has not scheduled the creation of the task force that will fight illegal gambling in Cagayan de Oro City.
The group had high hopes that Ocon's committee would meet with them last Friday, but was disappointment when Ocon, citing a full schedule, was unable to meet with them.
"We will do it ourselves dili na lang mi magsalig. We called him (Ocon) last Thursday pero wala man daw ma-schedule sa Friday. The past weeks busy daw siya," Bana said.
Bana said if Ocon could not meet with the group, the recourse is to seek the commitment of the City Council committee on peace and order chaired by Councilor Romeo Calizo.
"So kung wala pa gayud karong Friday, sulayan na sad namo ang commitee on police ni Councilor Calizo and kung wala gihapon kami na lang mandakop anyway cooperative man sad karon ang atong kapolisan," Bana said.
The Misamis Oriental Provincial Government has formed the task force through the executive order issued by Governor Yevgeny Emano last week.
Moclaai is currently gathering information from its member agents to derive the list of alleged protectors, financiers and coordinators specifically on illegal “swertres” game.
Bana said Moclaai members have been told to report the names of personalities involved in illegal gambling before the October 14 deadline.
The deadline is laid down so that action will be made immediately to ensure that illegal gambling, though reportedly had shut down operations, will no longer recommence.
Bana, meanwhile, is arming their members with courage as the group anticipates threats to hound them once their list comes out.
"To protect all the members, ang nasabutan kay tanan information i-forwarded namo sa PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office) then ang task force na dayon ang molihok," Bana said.
Bana added none of the group has received threats yet but they anticipate it will chased them once the list will be made known to the public.
But, Bana said they will make sure that whatever forms of threat will not be a deterrent in the aim to disable illegal gambling operations as they will report to the media and the public once they are threatened by personalities behind illegal gambling activities.
"We will report to the public kung naay threat sa amo kay kung unsay mahitabo everybody will know," Bana said.