NOPPO defends operations
against gambling in Bacolod

Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office Special Operations Group head Supt. Leonardo Angcon defended their successive operations in Bacolod City in the past three days.

Angcon said they know that the areas where they operated are under the jurisdiction of the Bacolod City Police but, as far as they are concerned, they did not violate anything because their operations were properly coordinated.

He explained that Supt. Manuel Payos from Police Regional Office-6 coordinated with NOPPO officer-in-charge Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan in the anti-illegal gambling operations in the areas covered by Bacolod police stations 1, 4, 6 and 8.

Angcon added that Lirazan assigned him and his team to help Payos carry out the anti-illegal gambling operations and coordinate with the chiefs of police.

Bacolod City police director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said that any police unit is welcome to operate in the city so illegal gambling will easily be curbed.

De la Paz said that the more units operating against illegal gambling, the better, since Police Regional Office-6 director, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, has a standing order to eliminate the illegal numbers game in Western Visayas.

De la Paz said they remain as the top performer in Region 6 as far as the campaign against illegal gambling is concerned.

From June to August this year, a total of 110 persons were apprehended for illegal gambling and 83 were charged before the court, while P11,118 in cash, believed to be proceeds from the illegal activity, was confiscated, police records show.

The number of operators based on police intelligence reports have reduced to two from six, de la Paz said.*APN

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Theft charges readied
vs. ATM card swindler

Theft charges are being readied against a woman who allegedly duped the wife of a retired police superintendent and took at least P100,000 in cash from her about two weeks ago at the automated teller machine booth of Landbank, at Gatuslao Street, Bacolod City.

Station 2 chief, Senior Insp. Robert Dejucos said they are waiting for the complainant, whose identity he withheld, to surface and execute her affidavit against the suspect identified as Maribeth Canoy Gonzales of Talisay, City, Negros Occidental.

The complainant told the police that she was about to withdraw money from the ATM machine when the suspect came and offered to help her, but the machine did not dispense any cash.

When she had her card checked by a bank employee, she found out that the card is not hers, the complainant added.

City police director, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, said that Gonzales's usual modus is to approach her victims, mostly elderly, and who do not know how to operate the ATM machine, and offer to help them.

De la Paz said the suspect will then get the ATM cards of the victims, asked them for their pin numbers and while talking to them switch it with another card. He said the suspect would show to the victim that she inserted the card at the ATM machine and will key in the pin number until the card will be captured.

De la Paz added that the suspect will then leave the victim and once the victim is no longer at the ATM booth, she will go back and insert the card she took, key in the pin number and take the money.

Station 1 commander, Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales, said that there have been about four other complainants who have surfaced against Gonzales.

Rosales said they were able to secure the suspect's picture after the closed circuit television cameras of one of the banks captured her activity.

The police described the suspect to be between 5 feet to 5 feet and 2 inches tall, with large build, a fair complexion, always wearing huge sunglasses, and has a mole on her upper lip.

De la Paz reminded the public not to give their ATM cards and pin numbers to strangers and instead ask for assistance only from bank employees, or security guards.*APN

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