10 kubradors arrested in Abra: Baguio City, Benguet ‘jueteng lords’ bared

BAGUIO CITY – Jueteng operations are still going on full-blast here and nearby towns of Benguet even as operators of the illegal numbers game have been identified by reliable sources as a certain Luding and Atong Ang.

Sources bared draws are still being held thrice a day in different venues with bets being collected at waiting sheds, restaurants, sari-sari stores and even police stations and city hall.

Task Force Jupiter which was created by Mayor Mauricio Domogan, critics said, was a lameduck as no arrests have been made by the police the past weeks.

Sources said officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the city government and police which compose the task force have been mum on the issue and have not done anything concrete to stop the illegal numbers game.

The TFJ some months ago earlier held a conference with students and the Roman Catholic Church on means to stop jueteng in the city.

Some proposals were agreed upon but after a few weeks, the illegal numbers game was still in operation in this city and nearby Benguet towns like La Trinidad, Benguet.
One proposal was for the police to intensify operations and arrest bet collectors and charge them in court so jueteng lords will be hard up putting up bail money, but then, this was not followed, critics said.

They alleged some city, DILG and police officials were being given grease money by jueteng operators running to thousands of pesos on a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly basis, main reason why there was no concerted drive to stop the menace.

Critics also were wondering why church groups were not openly “waging war” against the menace which they said, was destroying the moral and social foundation of the people.

They added, city officials and the police have kept mum on allegations of getting grease money from jueteng operators and what they intend to do in stopping the illegal numbers game.

Meanwhile, in Abra, intelligence operatives of the Provincial Investigation Branch and Provincial Public Safety Company arrested 10 jueteng bet collectors (kubradors) for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling) on June 18 at Mudiit, Dolores town.

Arrested were Dolores residents Rodelito T. Isao, 60; Joel A. Frio, 39; Roger B. Valeros, 39; Reynante A Eduarte, 43; Ronald A. Manangbao, 35; Roderick T. Fernandez, 55; Renato M Cabalbal, 61, and Reynaldo T Buenavista, 47.

Also nabbed were Hanzel B. Lopez, 17 of Tayum municipality and June B. Perez, 32 of the capital town of Bangued.

Confiscated from the arrested were jueteng bets amounting to P12, 648, one gray T-shirt, 12 booklets, eight papelitos among other jueteng paraphernalia.

All arrested persons and confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to Camp Juan Villamor, Bangued, Abra for documentation.

A case for illegal gambling was filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Abra against the suspects.

Pending termination of inquest proceedings, the nine suspects remained under police custody while a minor was ordered released and turned over to the custody of Department of Social Works and Development of Tayum by virtue of an order issued by Marcelo O Ortega, associate provincial prosecutor.