Village chiefs defend Station 6 police on Osmeña’s illegal gambling claims

DIFFICULT access to some locations and criminal lookouts giving suspects an early warning to an impending police raid were among the reasons given by village officials for the proliferation of illegal gambling in Barangays Pasil and Sawang Calero.

Pasil and Sawang Calero are among six barangays under the jurisdiction of the San Nicolas Police Station whose personnel had been stripped by Mayor Tomas Osmeña of their monthly stipend from the Cebu City government for failing to stop rampant illegal gambling activities.

Barangay captains Ariel Yburan and Julius Guioguio of Sawang Calero and Pasil, respectively, said that despite several operations conducted by the police against moli-moli, video karera and illegal swertres in their barangays, these forms of illegal gambling persist in locations which are difficult to penetrate.

“Mao nay amo giatangan. Gilista na namo ng ilang mga pangalan. Sige na pud nato gipabisitahan ug tanod ug mga civilian ang ilang mga balay. Kung mobalik gani na sila, amo na i-refer ngadto sa police para mahunong na gyud (We’ve been monitoring them. We’ve listed their names. We’ve also been sending tanods and civilians to visit their houses. If they come back, we will refer them to the police so that they will really be stopped),” said Yburan.

Yburan added that while he respects the mayor’s request for Cebu City police officials to replace all 52 personnel of the precinct, it will be difficult for the police station to start all over again especially after establishing their operations and “hotspots,” Yburan said.

Yburan also pointed out that San Nicolas Precinct or Police Station 6, led by Chief Insp. Keith Andaya, has done well in the campaign against illegal drugs, which he believes to be heavily connected with illegal gambling operations.

“Usually, ang butanganan sa mga video karera, mao say mga suyopanan. Nya sige naman tag operation ana, naa nay concerned areas ug naa nay mga nagbantay (Usually, video karera gambling areas are also drug dens. We’ve already been operating against these concerned areas, and we are already monitoring them),” Yburan said.

Guioguio agreed with Yburan’s observation saying that as a way to pass time, drug users would usually play video karera.

The Pasil barangay captain also cited a problem in stopping illegal gambling: the presence of lookouts who, he said, were quick to warn operators of incoming barangay and police operations.

Guioguio also denied the mayor’s claims that Pasil barangay officials were known to be protectors of illegal gambling in the area and said that they were willing to be investigated about it.

But unlike Yburan, Guioguio supports the mayor’s call to relieve all police personnel at the San Nicolas Police Station.

“Ilisan gani ang station commander, ilisan na lang tanan para magbag-o jud. Ang existing, dili maayo mag-continue. At least makita gyud ug naay kausaban (If you replace the station commander, might as well replace everyone so that there will really be a change. The existing ones there should not continue so you can really see the difference),” Guioguio said.

Police Station 6 has been doing its best in conducting anti-illegal gambling operations and would assist them when the barangay plans to do another roving and confiscation, he added in Cebuano.

Osmeña, on Tuesday, announced that he will suspend the allowances of all personnel in Station 6 for failing to curb illegal gambling activities in their area which includes Barangays Sawang Calero, Pasil, San Nicolas Proper, Suba, Pahina San Nicolas and Calamba.

For his part, San Nicolas Proper Barangay Captain Abraham Desamparado vehemently denied the presence of illegal gambling operators in his barangay.

“Wala gyud ko ana. Di gyud ko mosugot ana (There are really no illegal gambling operators here. I do not allow that to happen),” Desamparado said.

In an interview over dyAB, San Nicolas Station commander, Chief Insp. Keith Andaya, said all 52 personnel of the precinct were committed to continue the performance of their duties whether or not they get allowances from the Cebu City Hall.

Andaya said what was more important to them was that they continued to receive their monthly salaries from the national government to allow them to continue to report for work.

Andaya refused to further comment on Osmeña’s decision, saying that he wanted to leave it to their superiors at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to address the mayor’s concerns.