Col. Batuan denies illegal gambling links, accuses retired colonel 

Colonel Lorenzo A. Batuan

Colonel Lorenzo A. Batuan, the provincial director of Bohol police, has denied receiving payoffs from illegal gambling operators and has accused a retired police officer of being involved in the illicit activity.

Batuan made the counter-allegations against retired Col. Teofisto “Titoy” Cabagnot, who had earlier claimed that Batuan was getting P150,000 per week as protection money to allow illegal gambling to operate in the province.

In a press conference at Camp Francisco Dagohoy on March 7, 2024, Batuan said he had known Cabagnot as an alleged illegal gambling lord since 2006. He also called Cabagnot “botboton”, a local term for a liar.

Batuan said he initially wanted to ignore Cabagnot’s accusations, but he felt compelled to respond due to public pressure. He added that he waited until the funeral of Corporal Gilbert Amper, a slain police officer, was over before addressing the issue.

Batuan also said that he had clear instructions from the governor to eradicate illegal gambling in Bohol, even if it meant going after the governor’s relatives or allies.

ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUGS CAMPAIGN

In a related development, Lt. Col. Norman Nuez, chief of the Provincial Community Affairs and Development Unit (PCADU), said that Bohol’s geography poses a challenge in the fight against illegal drugs.

Nuez said Bohol has several entry points where drugs from other places could enter the province. He made this statement during his guesting on Ardy Araneta-Batoy’s Open Forum program on March 7, 2024.

According to Nuez, Bohol has at least nine ports and several wharves that could be used by drug smugglers. He also said that 36 out of 47 towns in Bohol, as well as Tagbilaran City, are coastal areas. This means that the police have to monitor more than 600 kilometers of coastline where drugs could be brought in by sea.

Nuez said that the police are doing their best to prevent the entry of drugs from other places. He also said that there is no shabu laboratory in Bohol, and that the drug supply here comes from nearby provinces.

Nuez also said that one of the factors that contributes to the drug problem is the high demand from drug users. He said that the police are not only working to reduce the supply, but also to lower the demand by helping drug dependents to undergo rehabilitation. He said that several people are currently in rehab centers as they try to overcome their addiction.