CIDG chief to public: Do not patronize illegal numbers game

Police Major General Albert Ignatius Ferro (CIDG director), retired Police Colonel Royina Garma (PCSO General Manager), Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog (CIDG-7 director), and Police Colonel Rolando Bulalacao, Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) director. | Photo screen grabbed from PCol Josefino Ligan’s FB page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — With around P20 million monthly losses that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) incurs due to the operation of the illegal numbers game in Mandaue City alone, enforcers here appeal to the public to not patronize these illegal outlets.

Police Major General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) made this appeal after retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, PCSO general manager, asked their assistance to investigate and stop the operators of illegal outlets especially in Mandaue City.

Mandaue City was mentioned because according to Garma, there is no registered and authorized agent to operate there yet.

Ferro said that the proliferation of these illegal activities in Mandaue City greatly affects the government’s funding as the P20 million monthly losses could have been channeled to various charitable programs of the government. 

“The importance of stopping illegal gambling is for the government to have ample resources kasi asa man kuhaon sa government yung Presidential charity fund niya, tong Malasakit programs nya kung atong charity programs ay di properly [operating]. Together with the PNP mutabang ang CIDG sa tanan para ma stop nato ang illegal numbers game,” Ferro said.

For her part, Garma said that since March 2021, there is no authorized agent for Suertres in Mandaue City.

However, Garma said they continue to receive reports of the illegal operations there. Garma further said that last September 2021, they received complaints from authorized agents in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and some areas in Cebu province regarding these illegal activities, which are badly affecting their sales.

“In their letter, they specified that illegal gambling operations in nearby municipalities and cities proliferate at tinatawid yung sales nila using electronic means of communication…we confirmed the report that illegal gambling such as suertres, nag proliferate sa Mandaue so that was the very reason why I wrote a letter,” Garma said.

“Hindi lang STL, when we also reviewed our sales sa lotto, sobrang baba din. It is because yung numero na kinukuhaan ng illegal gambling sa Mandaue ay ginagamit ang national draw ng PCSO. Instead na yung tao tumaya sa PCSO, ay tumataya na sa illegal gambling” she added.

For his part, Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, director of CIDG-7, said that they have arrested at least 20 ushers of illegal suertres in Mandaue City from the different operations they have conducted in coordination with other police units on November  25. 

The suspects will be facing formal complaints for violating Republic Act 9827. Some of the suspects are currently detained in the CIDG-7 holding facility and in some police stations. 

Ferro added that the suspects were allegedly working for an Omega Company which he claims is not an authorized operator in Mandaue City.

Police Colonel Rolando Bulalacao, Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) director, for his part, said that they are in continuous coordination with the CIDG-7 in stopping this illegal activity.

Garma added that there are areas even outside Central Visayas that have been operating illegally and that they are determined to stop them.   /rcg

READ: PCSO losses P12M per day in Cebu City and Mandaue due to illegal outlets