For financiers of the illegal numbers racket known as ‘suertres’, it’s happy days are here again. This developed despite a stern warning from S/Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr., provincial police director, that a resurgence of the illegal gambling activity will be dealt with accordingly. Not one who was known to lower his guard if the situation calls for it, Supt. Barot said the one-strike policy is still in force against erring policemen if they look the other way in dealing with suertres illegal stakeholders. Apparently, the police official’s warning only fell on deaf ears because reports from the field showed that suertres personnel have their hands full accommodating bets left and right. This only showed that suertres is back in action and the PNP appeared helpless to go after the perpetrators. One indication that the racket is back in harness was the lament of a number of authorized Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Lotto outlets protesting its resurgence under the very noses of lawmen. “If the police were able to stop the illegal operation of swertres in the last quarter of 2012, then why can’t they do it now,” they lamented

A PCSO authorized lotto operator who requested anonymity asked the media to expose this “obvious tolerance” of the police after his complaints were ignored police authorities despite pointing specific areas where the illegal swertres were back in operation. “We are legitimate operators and are working as partners of the PCSO which is a government agency. It is ironic why the police, the law enforcing arm of the government, does not act immediately on our request to stop the illegal swertres in our areas when they were able to do it before?” lamented the lotto operators. Sales at the authorized lotto outlets reportedly dropped to its lowest level when the illegal swertres operations returned middle of October last year. The return is allegedly with the blessing of local officials to raise added election funds for those running in the May 13 elections. On the other hand, the police, who allegedly receive a sizable amount in protection money from financiers, are just happy too on the illegal swertres return. Financiers reportedly have come up with a new mode of operation using cellphones instead of the paper bet stubs crudely used before.

The high-tech operation uses the messaging link where the bettor dictates his number combination and the usher texting it to the coordinator. The usher accepts the money, saves the bet in his message Sent Box and the coordinator does the same. The system is reportedly more reliable and fool proof since the bet saved in the Sent Box has complete data on date, time and amount the bet was made. No runners are needed in the new system. In a phone call made to Director yesterday, he said he had received complaints of alleged return of illegal swertres. Told about a complaining authorized lotto operator who said he called the police director and he only got this short reply, “I will try to do my best”, Police Director Barot said that is incorrect. “I said I will do my best and that is what we’re doing,” Barot replied. “We have made some apprehensions and our campaign against the illegal number games is continuing,” Barot added. On the allegation that the provincial command is ignoring these reports, Barot said he won’t comment on that anymore.