Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), has ordered an investigation on the alleged Peryahan ng Bayan operations in Bohol province.
If proven true, Ferro said that he already gave instructions for Police Colonel Joselito Clarito, chief of Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO), to put an end to the illegal gambling operation and go after its operators.
Ferro said that while illegal gambling is punishable under existing laws, this also puts bettors at risk of the coronavirus disease.
“So if we will permit illegal gambling, we are also permitting the spread of the disease,” the PRO-7 director said.
Last February, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced the suspension of Peryahan Games, formerly known as the Peryahan ng Bayan, as per instructions from the Office of the President.
Ferro said that since he assumed the position of PRO-7 director in February, he has made it clear “that illegal gambling activities will have no place in Central Visayas.”
He also warned all policemen under his command of their immediate relief and the filing of charges for the neglect of duty should they fail to curve illegal gambling problems within their respective jurisdictions. / dcb