09 March 2010

 

So  the public may know.

 

When Against Last 2 (ALTO) campaign was launched late January this year, I received a lot of mixed messages telling me, among others, that the task is mission-impossible while a few expressed their encouragement and support. Here is a progress report.

 

1^st week of March – I operationalized the plans I stated in my first publication:

 

a.  Visit to the Municipal Mayor of Padada. We talked about the unhampered illegal gambling activities specifically in the market place. He immediately called the local chief of police and ordered him to close all last 2 outlets. Effective noon of March 1, all the big time last 2 operators closed shop while small time financers continued to operate guerilla-type.

 

b.  Attended the Municipal council session. Discussed the same thing but the SB reaction was not that aggressive because, as they say, there is no need for a local ordinance as there is already an existing national law against illegal gambling.  I think my attendance was misunderstood by some members as pushing the SB to take direct action against last 2. All I wanted was for the SB, representing the people of Padada, to make an official stand with regards to the massive last 2 addiction in our place. May be come up with a municipal resolution condemning the inaction of the local police or the executive branch or just making a voice against illegal gambling.

 

c.  Visited the Mayor of Digos City. I asked him pointblank what help he can share specially that the big time last 2 financers are from Digos. No promises but he will take up the matter with his local police.

 

d.  Visited the Davao del Sur Provincial Police Director. He will monitor the effectiveness of the order given by the mayor to the chief of police in Padada.

 

e.  Visited the parish priest. Very positive reaction from the church. He will not be conducting mass on fiesta celebrations where gambling is allowed by the barangay officials. He advised me to visit the Bishop in Digos to elevate the matter to province level.

 

f.   Visit to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG PNP) based in Digos. Immediately, they conducted raids and made some arrests. More arrests will follow, they promised me.

 

g.  Established contact with Emmanuel Roldan of Sunstar Davao with a very positive reaction. He is the one responsible for the acronym (ALTO) Against Last 2 Campaign.

 

 

 

In the course of my personal investigation here are what I found:

 

a.  There are at least 23 stalls in the public market that sells nothing but numbers. (last 2). These are operating very casually as if they are selling rice and corn. 

 

b.  Most big time last 2 financers operating in Padada are from Digos, Sulop, Sta Maria, Gen Santos City, Tagum and and far as Cotabato. Most prominent family names are Ladera, Bocol and Valtan.

 

c.  An average of P 3 million a month (P36M/year) is being siphoned from the municipality to financers outside thru this gambling activity –tax free.

 

d.  Part of this 3M is being shared to the police and private individuals who provide protections to this illegal activity. A certain PEDRING serves as a daily tong collector and he delivers the amount to the recipients on a daily basis. ( I have a complete list of how much and who benefited from this collection.)

 

e.  A certain TIMI and JULIE (brothers) are reportedly responsible for the coming in of big time financers from Digos. They are private individuals but they can offer protection to the last 2 operators.  Another brother (NARDING) is also responsible for the operation of HANTAK in the market. Aside from gambling these individuals are also collecting tong from single motorcyles and multicabs plying the Padada-Digos route and Padada-Kiblawan route. I have yet to find out how these private individuals are able to make illegal collection without police intervention.

 

….to be continued…….