Sept. 23-29, 2010
By Cha Monforte
The illegal numbers game Last 2 that relies from 6/4/3 -digit results of the government-run nightly lotto draws has stopped in Tagum City and in the capital town of Nabunturan, Compostela Valley starting last Thursday and the last weekend, respectively.
At press time, fronton betting offices openly leasing spaces in known commercial streets and public places in the city and the capital town remain closed, fueling speculations that the stoppage of the proliferating illegal numbers game this time will be for a long haul as the Senate continues its probe on jueteng, masiao and Last 2 games natiowide.
Tagum chief of police Giusseppe Geralde said that starting last Thursday, Sept. 16 Last 2 fronton offices in the city have been closed as combined police intelligence operatives started arresting persons caught taking Last 2 bets.
PSupt. Geralde said that the operatives arrested two persons taking Last 2 bets, one in Purok Mangga and in another part of the city.
He said that the combined intelligence operatives coming from the provincial and city police offices conducted operations following receipt last week of a copy of the “directive from the PNP regional director to stop this (Last 2 gambling)”.
He said that directive was addressed to all provincial, city and municipal police chiefs in Region XI.
On the other hand, OIC provincial director PSSupt Roberto Abadia bared that throughout the province the police apprehended thus far 41 persons involved in Last 2 gambling after they received a directive from the PNP national headquarters last week effecting the latest “one-strike policy” issued by President Aquino III for all police units nationwide.
He said that the police had only carried out apprehensions of persons directly taking bets based on “plain view”.
Police provincial director Jose Pante is at press time on travel in Manila, a police source said.
PSSupt Abadia said that pinning down Last 2 financiers “needs a long process” as police authorities would still have to get first search warrants from the court.
But he added: “Hulat hulat lang sa mo kay mag apply pa ta ug search warrants (just wait for us to get search warrants from the court)” referring to Last 2 financiers.
Meanwhile, sources said that in Nabunturan town, Last 2 fronton betting offices closed down in operations again starting last Sunday after resuming operations for over two weeks after their first two-week stoppage starting late last month “due to a visiting DILG national official”.
Reports said that also the open Last 2 gambling has stopped in the rest of poblaciones in Compostela Valley but separate reports said that some financiers have been resorting to covert and guerilla-type of operations through ushers in barangays while others have lain low for now pending “negotiations with the higher ups”.
In Laak town, Mayor Rey Navarro has earlier instructed his chief of police Police Senior Inspector Mohamad Dampac “to stamp out all forms of illegal gambling in the municipality” heightening his long-running campaign in the municipality.
GOING GUERILLA
But other sources said that some financiers in both provinces are going now in guerilla-type of Last 2 gambling operations using walking ushers in secluded poblacion puroks and barangays.
Sources also said that in Tagum City there are risk-taking fronton financiers who are still opening their leased betting offices during nighttime or discreetly getting bets during daytime from insisting Last 2 bettors.
THE FRONTON
Last 2 results are based on results of last two numbers in Philippine Lotto’s draws for six digits or four digits on Monday to Saturday, and on the 9:00 PM swertres results during Sunday.
Since the swertres has already three draws in a day, midday 2:00 P.M., 5:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. since two years ago, fronton financiers then started taking Last 2 bets for the two new additional draws during daytime.
But most of the bets are placed in evening draws.
Last 2 fronton offices are observed being preferred by bettors as they give the highest P800 for a P10 bet and would allow a maximum of P1,000 bet for one two-number combination, which could win P80,000.
Betting through Last 2 ushers usually wins P750 or P700 only.
The so-called “fronton” offices have usually no bet-taking ushers, but only have 2-3 cashiers cum collectors.
OTHER DAVNOR AREAS
Sources said that particularly in Kapalong town Last 2 gambling was stopped by Vice Mayor Romy Estrada when he assumed as OIC mayor when Mayor Edgardo Timbol went on official leave of absence, reportedly causing the latter to sustain his vice mayor’s campaign when he reassumed office.
In Panabo City, Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr has since been campaigning for the stoppage of Last 2 gambling in days following the assumption of the new administration.
Covert guerilla-type Last 2 operations have reportedly sprung out in time and in areas where officials and police are carrying out operations against Last 2 gambling.
GAME OF CHANCE
But other hooked bettors are unhappy nowadays as their constant dream of winning big or frequently has also stopped with the Last 2’s abrupt stoppage.
So are the thousands of fronton cashiers, ushers and coordinators who were immediately out from their work with their families facing famine.
Others defended Last 2 for “being just a game of chance and based on legal lotto in the first place, unlike jueteng whose winning numbers are just dictated by the financiers. It’s the bettors like other Filipinos who take chances and love the game of chance”.
Nang Maria, a long-time usher in Nabunturan, told Valley & City Chronicle “may na lang unta to uy kay at least makapalit mi ug bugas”.
She said that she averaged at least P50 whenever she goes out late in the afternoon to solicit bets from her tayadors in different puroks in town. “Wa pay labot ang barato pagka ugma kung may modaug.”
On the other hand, Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes said in an interview, “it’s about time to stop Last 2″ through the police citing “it’s a police matter”.
He said: “Walay miasenso nga midaug sa Last 2, mao gihapon- ang mga financier maoy nadato, wala nay laing maigo ani kundi ang mga mga pobre, imbis ang kwarta ipalit ug asin ug vetsin, i-gamble pa nila basig modaghan pa, mentality sa Pinoy.”
He added: “Bisan atong nakadaug ug dako, ipatad na usab ang nadaug, mas dako na basig modaghan pa ug samot hangtod nga mahurot, pabalik-balik lang gyod.”
DAVNOR DILG SAYS
Dept. of Interior and Local Government provincial director Gregorio Versoza said that he could personally vouch that in Davao del Norte “there is no one among mayors and other elected officials receving take from the illegal Last 2 gambling.”
He said this is unlike in Luzon, where he hailed from and where there is proliferated jueteng, governors, mayors and other officials have been receiving jueteng money out of coexistence.
“The jueteng there is a P9 billion industry…the mayors, congressmen and other officials are on the payola of the financiers,” he said.
“But here in Tagum City and Davao del Norte, I have not come across that mayors and other officials are receiving something from the Last 2,” Versoza said.
“I cannot just accuse anybody of receiving something if it is a mere hearsay- because a hearsay can destroy the person.” he added.
ONE-STRIKE POLICY
As to the “one-strike” policy, Versosa explained that when another police raiding from the regional command would conduct a raid in one locality, the highest police official would be relieved from his post if the raiding team finds out that there is still illegal gambling in the locality.
The police official would then be transferred to what Versoza described as “hardship assignment”.
“The worst is when you are transferred to the navy, which means that you are put in the freezer, and so you have nothing to do except to just read newspaper, eat and go home at 5 PM,” he added. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)
Filed under: the last 2 gambling dav, the last 2 gambling davao del norte, compostela valley, the last 2 gambling davao del norte
Recent Comments