5 jueteng bet collectors arrested: Anti-gambling drive upped in Cordillera

CAMP BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet -- Five jueteng bet collectors were nabbed in the Cordillera last week as regional police intensified its drive against illegal gambling.

This, after Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong formed an anti-illegal gambling task force two weeks ago to stop the menace in the region.

A Camp Dangwa press statement earlier said police involved in jueteng or other forms of illegal gambling would be investigated.

At press time, jueteng operations were reportedly still prevalent in Baguio City and the towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Tuba, Tublay, Mankayan and Buguias in Benguet.

Places where jueteng was rife reportedly included the provinces of Abra and Kalinga.

In Apayao, three jueteng bet collectors were arrested by joint operatives of Sta Marcela Police Station and Provincial Public Safety Company led by Supt. Reynaldo D. Pasiwen while collecting hueteng bets in the town on Nov. 28.

Arrested person were identified as Tina M. Beltran, 34; Jay-R F. Viloria, 34 and Michael G. Claro, 32, all of Sta Marcela

Confiscated from the suspects were P881.00 cash, jueteng paraphernalia and three cellphones.

All confiscated items were turned over to the Fiscal’s Office including the persons arrested while cases for illegal gambling were readied against them.

On Nov. 29, joint operatives of Pudtol town police station and Provincial Public Safety Company also arrested another jueteng collector identified as Kenneth Erenea Mayo, 30, resident of the town.

Confiscated from Mayo were cash amounting to P335, jueteng paraphernalia and one cellphone.

All confiscated items with the suspect were brought to Pudtol Police Station while a case for illegal gambling was readied against Mayo.

A police report said the bets which were confiscated in the two municipalities were due to be remitted to a jueteng hideout in the municipality of Abulug Cagayan.

Also on Nov. 29, a 51-year-old man identified as Jose Manuel Jr. of Barangay Suyo, Pidigan, Abra was also arrested in the town in an operation led by Pidigan police chief Insp. Dominador De Guzman.

The suspect was arrested while in the act of collecting jueteng bets and as a result, jueteng paraphernalia and cash bets amounting to P510 were confiscated from his possession.

A case for illegal gambling was readied against Manuel.

In Bontoc, Mountain Province on Nov. 28 at about 10 p.m., joint personnel of Mt. Province Provincial Headquarters and Provincial Public Safety Company led by Chief Insp. P. Dyann B. Bangcawayan confiscated two slot machines inside a billiard hall at Aclopen’s Building, Samoki in the capital town.

No one claimed ownership of the confiscated equipment brought to the provincial police headquarters for safekeeping.