CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—Police Regional Office 4 Calabarzon Director Chief Supt. Ma. O Aplasca has ordered the provincial police directors under him to conduct an all-out war against illegal gambling in the region.
Aplasca told Manila Standard he is sending a directive to the provincial directors in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon to execute his orders and stress a “no-take policy” on possible bribes from illegal gambling operators or bookies.
The Calabarzon area is known for different types of illegal games such small town lottery or jueteng, “Devil Machine,” video “karera” (video game horseracing), and “color games” in “peryahan” or traveling amusement parks, known locally as “pergalan.”
The operation is based on a directive from Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who told local authorities to not just focus on anti-drug operations, Aplasca said.
He also strongly denied any connection to a certain Rodjie Legarda, who has reportedly been making the rounds of illegal gambling operations to collect “fees” supposedly on his behalf.
Aplasca has ordered the regional police intelligence officers to track down Legarda, whose existence was tipped off by a caller to a popular radio-television public service program.