Gamboa orders crackdown on VK machines

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PHILIPPINE National Police chief, Director General Archie Francisco F. Gamboa yesterday ordered a nationwide crackdown against ‘video-karera’ machines as part of his ‘no-take’ policy on illegal gambling activities as he led the destruction of  56 VK machines seized by the Quezon City Police District.

The PNP chief went to Camp Karingal to join QCPD director, Brigadier General Ronnie S. Montejo, in destroying the VK machines seized in separate operations conducted by the 12 QCPD stations and other units.

Those operations likewise resulted in the seizure of P15,363 in coin bets and the arrest of 91 persons. ‘VK’ is a form of illegal gambling where bettors use coins to operate a horse-racing game in an arcade machine.

‘VK’ games have been associated with illegal drug use since authorities say that they are mostly placed on highly-crowded areas, specifically those belonging to informal settlers where there are known high incidents of illegal drug trafficking and abuse.

Gen. Gamboa made his command visit at the QCPD and also graced the cascading of the interfaith squad system manual as part of the reinvigorated internal cleansing program of the police force.

The PNP chief earlier ordered his men to strictly comply with his ‘no-take’ policy’ or face administrative relief and investigation once outside PNP units specifically the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group managed to conduct successful anti-illegal gambling operations in their areas.

The PNP-IMEG headed by Colonel Ronald O. Lee is currently conducting operations to bust illegal gambling activities in the country amid complaints from the general public which mostly say that their reports to local police officials about the presence of illegal gambling activities just literally fall on deaf ears.

The PNP-IMEG’s recent successful anti-illegal gambling raids in Bulacan province came in the wake of Gen. Gamboa’s warning that all police commanders who will fail to curb down illegal gambling activities in their areas will be relieved under his ‘one-strike’ policy.