The alleged operation of Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation in Bacolod is illegal, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director Sr. Supt. Ricardo Dela Paz said.
De la Paz pointed out that Meridien, as well as other jai alai operations in the city is illegal. "They do not have a franchise to operate here in Bacolod," he said. "It is illegal, so anybody who is involved in it will be arrested," De la Paz stressed amid reports that Meridien is allegedly operating in Bacolod but some police officers are not apprehending its people. He said he will look into reports that policemen under Stations 4 and 5 are allegedly not arresting the staff of Meridien. He appealed that those who are accusing cops of favoring certain jai alai operators and financiers should prove their allegation. De la Paz also declared that his office is not sparing any operator or financier as well as runners in their campaign against illegal gambling. He assured people that policemen under the BCPO are serious in the campaign to stop illegal gambling activities in the city. He said it is also possible that jai alai operators are the ones sending text messages to discredit their competitors. He also claimed operators and financiers of jai-alai are reportedly doing smear campaign against each other and trying to discredit one another at the expense of policemen. Councilor El Cid Familiaran alleged that Bacolod has become the center of illegal numbers game, especially jai-alai operations, in the province, even if they are illegal. He said he will pass a resolution which will minimize, if not totally eradicate the continued operation of the illegal numbers game. The city government does not earn from its operations through permits and taxes. He further alleged that all illegal numbers game operators are discreetly operating in the city, but the apprehensions of their bet collectors is a manifestation that they exist in the city. He added that he is consulting his lawyers about the possibility of seeking the help of the Department of Justice to increase the cash bond of those apprehended from P24,000 to P100,000 so that the operators will have a hard time shouldering the fines and subsidy of those who are arrested. He said that an apprehended bet collector pays a cash bond of P24,000 and another P9,000 for surety bond, but if the cash bond is increased to P100,000, then it will be hard for the operators, and will probably lessen their operations Last week, Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, police provincial director, said all jai-alai operations in Negros Occidental, including those reportedly by Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation, is illegal and therefore should not be allowed in the province. Guisihan said he has reiterated his order to all police stations to go after jai-alai operations, and all other illegal numbers game, during a command conference at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO). Meridien has reportedly obtained a franchise from the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) to operate fronton and betting stations. But Guisihan stressed, "As far as we know, Meridien’s jai-alai operations in Negros is illegal." He said that there were no legal papers furnished them to justify the operations of Meridien. Guisihan added that the operations of Meridien outside the CEZA are deemed illegal until the court decides on the case filed against Meridien.*
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