TUGUEGARAO CITY: Eleven towns in Cagayan have allegedly rampant illegal numbers game operations dubbed Peryahan ng Bayan in Alcala, Amulung, Aparri, Baggao, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Gattaran, Gonzaga, Lallo, Penablanca and Sta. Ana, Gov. Manuel Mamba said. Mamba has described the betting in 28 villages in 11 towns as illegal as he wrote the PCSO and Interior department to order a crackdown on the operations. 'The DILG and PNP must act against those behind these operations. There is no doubt that there are protectors here. I wrote the PCSO about this too,' he said, adding that he has been prodding police to arrest the alleged culprits. The government earlier suspended the Peryahan operations over the Globaltech Mobile Online company's alleged failure to pay P100 million taxes from its income, he added. Last week, police raided an alleged den in Smart, Gonzaga town, and arrested a table manager and four workers. Seized were P7,410 cash, bet money, papillitis, phones, and other paraphernalia. A case for breaching the illegal gambling law has been lodged. 'We conduct daily monitoring and operations against the Peryahan ng Bayan in coordination with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. There are police chiefs relieved due to the said illegal gambling,' Col. Renell Sabaldica, Cagayan police director, said in a chat message to reporters. As this developed, ten police chiefs in Cagayan have been relieved from their posts on Wednesday, July 20. However, the provincial police did not categorically confirm that all of those relieved were axed for command responsibility in the proliferation of numbers games in their areas. Relieved were police chiefs from Abulug, Alcala, Camalaniugan, Enrile, Gattaran, Gonzaga, Lasam, Rizal, Sta. Praxedes and Sta. Teresita towns. PCSO Cagayan Branch Manager Heherson Pambid claimed that the said Peryahan operations have been 'unauthorized and without permit' from the national government, adding that this runs counter to the small-town lottery. The Globaltech company has yet to issue its side on the matter.
