BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Netizens have been twitting police in Ilog town for arresting elderly women allegedly playing a card game that it said violated gambling laws.
“Excellent accomplishment sa pulis na….you guys did the job well. Deserve nyo tagaan medal of honor kag cash reward,” one of the commenters, a man, said in reactiin to the news card DNX posted yeaterday, 30 March 2023, on its Facebook page.
The women aged 60, 66, and 72 – and two neighbors, also women – aged 34 and 38 – were arrested in the community of Hunasan in Barangay (village) 1 around 5:20pm Wednesday, 29 March 2023.
The five were reportedly playing a card game in violation of the country’s illegal gambling laws.
No other details were given.
DNX has withheld the names of the suspects to protect their identities.
The news item has drawn the highest number of comments from among the reports of DNX yesterday, with some appealing to police to be more considerate to elderly women.
“Tani gin warningan lang anay (They could have just warned them),” one reader said.
Some were almost flippant.
“Bilarrry bird ya,” a stylized take on a local cuss word that could pass off as a comment while one sounded somber: “kon illegal possession of firearms ok lang (it’s okay if it’s illegal possession of firearms).”
Many, however, pointed out that card games are usually parlor games that the elderly play to while away their time and avoid boredom.
Camp Montelibano spokesman, Captain Judesses Catalogo, however, had earlier said recreational games from bug-oy to mahjong, and tong-its can be considered gambling if it involves money.
Betting money on the results of make these games of chance.
Then President Duterte had imposed a crackdown on crimes under his term and had directed the police to run a strict campaign against all forms of crime.
