Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday ordered Quezon City Police District’s Col. Ronnie Montejo to run after illegal gambling operations in the city.
She ordered the crackdown on all forms of illegal gambling, saying the city government cannot tolerate such.
Even fiesta celebrations with cockfighting or “sabong” and all games in funerals, such as “sakla,” will no longer be allowed, Belmonte stressed.
In giving her marching orders, she told Montejo to launch an all-out war to stop its operations and apprehend those behind it.
“We will launch a full-scale operation against all forms of illegal gambling, such as jueteng, video karera, EZ-2 and loteng, even small-scale operations in our barangays,” the city mayor said.
She appealed to residents that it would be better to put their money on legitimate gaming operators such as the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office that remit revenues to the government.
Montejo vowed there would be major accomplishments against illegal gambling within a week.
Belmonte recently gathered the city’s 142 village executives to inform them about the strict implementation of the city ordinance against illegal gambling.
She tasked barangay officials to closely monitor and report any gambling operation, and provide intelligence reports on illegal bet collectors or “bookies.”
