Philippines: 2,591 arrests for illegal gambling in Western Visayas
The arrests were made throughout the first half of the year.
The Philippines.- Police in the Philippines’ Western Visayas region have reported the arrest of 2,591 people for alleged illegal gambling in the first half of this year. The arrests were made as part of the intensified anti-gambling campaign led by the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6.
Acting director Police Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor told the Manila Bulletin the arrests were a result of 814 anti-gambling operations conducted from January 1 to June 25, following the directive of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
During the operations, approximately PHP600,000 in suspected betting money was seized. Villaflor stressed the implementation of the strict one-strike policy for police chiefs responsible for curbing illegal gambling, warning that any failure would result in the immediate removal of officers. He commended residents for providing information to the police.
The Philippine National Police has reported that in the first half of the year, it arrested more than 41,000 people in 50,000 operations. The operations had a particular emphasis on illicit online cockfighting, known as e-Sabong. The Philippines had licensed this activity, but legal e-sabong was terminated in May 2022.
Meanwhile, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced that the Philippines will remain on its “grey list” of untrustworthy jurisdictions following the organisation’s latest plenary meeting. It said the Philippines must continue implementing its action plan to address strategic deficiencies.
One of the highlighted recommendations focuses on the Philippines demonstrating effective use of AML and CFT controls to mitigate risks associated with casino junkets. The FATF emphasised the urgency for the Philippines to implement its action plan promptly as deadlines for addressing strategic deficiencies expired in January 2023.
