By Lesley Vestil
A police officer from Cebu City and a municipal councilor from Cordova were arrested dawn Friday after they were caught gambling in casinos in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City.
Police Officer 2 Cyrelle Marie Bajao Bayate and Councilor Lemuel Wahing Pogoy will be charged with violating a presidential decree banning government officials from gambling in casinos.
The Regional Intelligence Division (RID) deputy chief, Supt. Josefino Ligan, said Bayate and Pogoy are the first public servants in Central Visayas to be arrested in compliance with the order.
Bayate was arrested in the casino of a four-star hotel in uptown Cebu City, according to City Intelligence Branch Chief, Christopher Navida.
Pogoy was picked up in a casino hotel in Marigondon, Lapu-lapu City.
The arrest of the two serves as a “lesson that government official please do stop going to the casinos, the PNP will implement the directive of the President. Wag na kayong pumunta dyan, stop niyo niyan,” Ligan said.