Task force vs gambling formed

By Cebu Daily News THE POLICE Regional Office (PRO 7) has created the Regional Anti-Illegal Gambling Task Force in response to the order of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to wage an all out war against jueteng and all forms of gambling. But because there is no jueteng in Central Visayas and in Cebu, the Task Force will instead revive its operations against the illegal numbers game called "masiao" or "last-two" and the video carrera machines. Senior Superintendent Augusto Marquez, chief of the Regional Operations and Plans Division (R-3), revealed that the biggest challenge of the task force will be the fight against video carrera machine operations since masiao is no longer rampant in Cebu or Central Visayas. "Based on the reports of our provincial and city directors in the region, the operation of masiao now is virtually nil. I can even say that the masiao operation since the mid 1990s has gradually slowed down," Marquez said. Marquez said that only five percent are left in the masiao operation in the whole region. Marquez cited the closure of the Jai-alai fronton in Manila and the start of lotto operations as the reasons of the slowing down of masiao operations. Marquez also said that the task force's aim is to totally stop masiao operations, video carrera and other forms of gambling. Marquez also revealed that the operations of the task force would be finalized during the command conference on Thursday (May 26). He also said that Senior Superintendent Ronald Roderos, PRO 7 deputy director for operations, will head the task force and Chief Superintendent Florante Baguio as the task force's national chairperson. Marquez also said that based on the order from Camp Crame, provinces and cities in the region must also create their respective task forces. Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan