Battling illegal online gambling, saving society and people from its evil effects.

 COMMENTARY

Aldwin Quitasol

BAGUIO CITY -- Every human being in my point of view needs money most especially at this time that almost all must be paid before they can be utilized, from food, to services, to securities among others.
    Many people if not most, love money. In many chances, many individuals said love of money is the root of all evil. That’s what they see.
    What I prefer to say is that love of money is all but natural for every human being especially the poor because it will feed them. But the greed of more money can lead to destruction of values, lives and practically everything that humans have, and so, they have to find ways to make them not only rich but richer or the richest in the community.
    People resort to gambling hoping that they will double, triple or more their money. For them, sadly, many of them are from poor families see gambling as their way to get easy money.
    There are countless studies where the ill effects of gambling ruin lives. But even without reading such studies or listening to stories of people suffering from downfall because of being addicted to gambling. Gambling knows no boundaries and nationalities, as it is a global menace, a disease, that some people simply see it as bad habit.
    Since time immemorial, many people were hooked up to excessive and uncontrollable gambling in any forms. At present times, the vice many people of the world loves levelled-up by thousand times because of the advancement of the technology developed by humans.
    With the birth of the internet and growing dependency of most people on it, gambling addicts, promoters among others see internet as a perfect tool to make people gamble without physically engaging them wherever they are and whenever they want.
    And with the birth of the online casino in the 1990’s, the online gambling spread like a fire in every internet place, in every home, in every country or in any corner of the world where internet access is available.
    And because online gambling makes the betting faster and easier as anybody who knows how to operate internet-connected personal desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile phones and any possible device can join the game.
    Compared to going to casinos where people who want to gamble there need to show that they have capital money to use in betting. In online gambling, farmers, workers and vendors among others who have no luxury of going to the gambling houses can gamble.
    There are few online gambling sites that are legal however and not all can gamble unless they passed the requirements being asked by the said sites. These sites are sanctioned by the government or some of them are being operated by the government itself.
    And because they are legitimate as they are registered, they follow legal rules and regulations that are designed to protect the people. And regulatory fees are required both from the bettors and the online gambling sites operators and owners.
    And huge chunk from the income of these legal gambling sites go to charity as well as social services. 
    Then people who see the potentials of online gambling in hauling gigantic profits. So illegal online gambling sites sprouted in the internet. And because there are no regulations that the operators must follow as they are unregistered, and unmonitored by the authorities, anybody can join without hesitations.
    The rich who love going illegal instead of doing good things, the poor ones who love to win instantly and even the children who most of them are high-technology savvy can also bet.
    Only the owners of these illegal gambling sites benefit from their illegal activities. The victims are the people who are addicted to the false promises that they offer. 
    Instead of people using their money especially those who have online banking accounts to use them for their necessities, they are lured by the attractive games of illegal online gambling sites until these people empty their accounts due to unhampered betting as they win few times and collect huge amounts of prize moneys but loss more money as the greed of having more and more prize money occupied their minds.
    One of the many dangers of online gambling is that gamblers are electronically betting their money from their online accounts using  computers and mobile phones.
    Thus they are vulnerable to online fraud and thieves employing phishing, siphoning of funds electronically and many other forms of online theft and robbery. Online blackmailing is also rampant as many people are being victims of extortion where they are asked to pay by the millions or else, they would face consequences.
    Most cases lead to violence and even death as people who went bankrupt because of unhampered betting in illegal online gambling are forced to borrow money and incur huge amounts of debt just to continue their online betting, are being kidnapped by people who caused their bankruptcy.
    Before, during and after the pandemic, illegal online gambling continues to victimize people. If there are no serious measures done and fearless crackdown against these illegal online gambling sites, the menace continues.
    Governments of nations must do something as illegal online gambling sites are not just in one country, they are all over the globe. A global war should be unleashed against illegal online gambling. And that requires international cooperation.
    Every human being who is at his or her proper senses, should also contribute to the initiatives to end illegal online gambling by discouraging people who they know are being lured by the attractive offers of illegal online gambling sites. People should remind people that illegal things are bad and must end.
 

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PCSO sees better services with still anti illegal gabling drive

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan 

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday welcomed the Philippine National Police's (PNP) pledge to intensify its crackdown on illegal gambling in the country, as this would help the agency provide better services to the public.
    PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. made the commitment to PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles in a meeting on May 6.
    Acorda assured Robles that he would strictly enforce the one-strike policy against police commanders who would fail to stop illegal gambling activities in their respective areas of responsibility.
    In return, Robles thanked Acorda for his support and commitment to the government's campaign against illegal gambling.
    He noted that unhampered illegal gambling operations undermine the agency’s ability to generate higher revenues as the greater portion of their earnings ends up in the hands of illegal gambling operators.
    “In turn, those losses deprive poor Filipino citizens of the health care and other benefits that the PCSO provides," Robles said in a statement.
    The PCSO is the principal agency tasked with raising and providing funds for the government’s major health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character.
    In the same meeting, Robles called on the public to patronize only PCSO-sanctioned games, such as Lotto, Scratch-It, and Small Town Lottery, to help fund the agency’s various social welfare programs and, in the process, possibly win attractive prizes.
    Robles said all PCSO games are conducted with the highest level of transparency and accountability.
    "The agency is working hard to remain a socially responsible organization that provides assistance to the most vulnerable members of society," he said.
    To help the PCSO continue its humanitarian work, the public is advised to report illegal gambling operations to concerned local authorities and PCSO offices.
    Acorda and Robles also warned gambling operators to stop engaging in such illegal activities or be severely dealt with under the law. -- PNA
 
 

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DILG to Cordillera LGUs: Stop E-sabong

BAGUIO CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cordillera Administrative Region urged regional local government units Tuesday to monitor and stop betting stations and cockpit arenas operating as E-Sabong in their respective localities
    “We are urging our city and municipal governments in the region to closely coordinate with and provide assistance to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure the compliance of the suspension of E-Sabong,” said Regional Director Araceli A. San Jose of DILG-CAR.
    In December 2022, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., issued executive order No. 9 s. 2022 for the continued suspension of all E-Sabong operations, including auxiliary E-Sabong activities.

“We are enjoining our LGUs to strictly implement pertinent provisions of the suspension of the activities relating to E-Sabong such as live-streaming or broadcasting of cockfights inside and outside cockpits or cockfighting arenas, or in any premises where cockfights are being held including online betting on cockfighting matches, events, activities streamed or broadcasted live, regardless of the betting platform,” San Jose said.

“The PNP is also directed to implement appropriate actions against any violator in accordance with the rule of law”, she said.

In May 4, 2022, Pagcor issued notice and guidelines on suspension of E-Sabong operations following verbal order of then President Rodrigo R. Duterte. – BLM DILG-CAR

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First, there was jueteng

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- Submitting one’s courtesy resignation could be one of the solutions in weeding out scalawags from the rows of the men and women in the PNP organization, especially those involved in the illegal drug problem. But will it make a dent in the police organization’s corruption problem?
    Bad police officials may be removed from the ranks of the 227,000-strong police force but considering the money circulating in the drug trade, they might operate just the same sans their blue uniform.
    Maybe DILG Sec. Benhur Abalos should first look into the causes why the police are being corrupted. Is it because the public and the rank-and-file policemen know that there are colonels and generals who are on the take from jueteng and illegal gambling before they got involved in the illegal drug trade?
    It must be recalled that then Sen. Ping Lacson stressed in so many instances the involvement of police generals, colonels and low-ranked cops in the multi-billion jueteng and illegal gambling activities which led to killings, shootouts and ambushes in the past.
    Sec. Abalos could get rid of these police officials involved in jueteng which could make it easier for him to convince others to stay away from illegal drugs. The police are easily corrupted when they know that their bosses are on the take. He should look into this.  
    Critics said the courtesy registration is a useless paper because it has no legal basis. But Police colonels and generals started filing their courtesy resignations last week, including PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, who was the first to comply with the appeal of DILG Sec. Abalos.
    In addition, the DILG is not vested with powers to organize a committee that would decide which resignations would be accepted based on an officer’s involvement in drugs. That would simply be a witch hunt.
    After submitting their courtesy resignations, the police officials go through the scrutiny of a five-man committee who will decide on who would be retained or dismissed. Those who will be dismissed of course, will have their day in court. This way, due process is mutilated.
    Sec. Abalos said the process would evaluate the resignation papers of the PNP officers by the five-man committee which would submit a list to the National Police Commission for further review. If enough evidence merits a criminal case, this would be filed in court. Here, the committee would be acting like prosecutors.
    Those found to be innocent would be retained and continue with their service. And they are still talking about what to do with officers who would not submit their resignation. They are facing a blank wall since they cannot just say that an officer is guilty just because he did not submit his resignation. 
    And what could have been the reason why Gen. Azurin filed his courtesy resignation aside from obedience to the DILG boss? First, PNP Chief Azurin who is retiring by the middle of this year would not want to be facing unnecessary delays in his retirement.
    Second, the officers simply know that their courtesy resignation would not be enough to prove any involvement with the drug problem as this has to go through a costly procedure.
    Third, the police officers do not want to be accused of any crimes or involvement in the illegal drug trade that is why they cannot oppose the appeal of Sec. Abalos.
    When Sec. Abalos announced his order on national TV for the police colonels and generals to submit their courtesy resignation, I already had reservations that the move would not work as it has no legal basis and would go against due process, the time-honored way of resolving problems.
    Instead of protecting one’s government career by maintaining the person’s innocence unless proven guilty by filing the proper criminal case against the police official suspected of involvement in the drug trade, he or she is first removed from the service. Indeed, shoot first and ask questions later.
     The secretary earlier said that the police officers engaged in drug dealing have so much money, power and resources which means that there was prior knowledge about their involvement. No wonder, the Abalos appeal focused on police colonels and generals.
    But it is unlikely that the lower-ranked policemen who compose the bigger number of the police organization have lesser involvement in the drug problem, compared to the smaller number of colonels and generals. This has to be checked too.
    So far, 65 per cent or around 500 plus of 947 generals and full colonels have tendered their resignation, the deadline for the submission of which was by the end of January. The process is expected to last for three months.
    Investigating 900 plus police colonels and generals and finding out which among them are involved in illegal drugs is not an easy job for a five-man team. What would happen if they missed investigating the real scalawags and dismissed from service the innocent ones? The public would accuse them of so many things, including bribery.
    Certainly if this fails, the PNP would be divided in so many factions, and the public could only choose which faction to support. Let us pray that no faction would be going against this government.
    This would prove that the appeal to file courtesy resignations achieved nothing but reveal that there is corruption in the entire police organization. Why so? There is such a thing called the “follow the leader” mentality. You trade drugs, I sell too. 

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Nueva Ecija trader claims P114.3 million lotto prize

STO. DOMINGO, Nueva Ecija -- A businessman of this town who won the jackpot in the 6/45 Megalotto drawn on Dec. 24 last year has claimed his winnings.
    The bettor hit the winning numbers 11-21-01-12-17-03, which had a total jackpot of P114,327,454.
    He went to the office of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Jan. 3 to claim his prize.
    The winner said he had been playing lotto in the past 15 years.
    He said he plans to allocate part of his winnings to charity.
    He said he would also use the money to grow his business and save for the future of his family.
    The PCSO said 183 other bettors who guessed five of the winning numbers won P32,000 each.                 

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Mayor orders increased drive vs illegal gambling

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong directed the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) to intensify its campaign against illegal gambling after receiving several reports of alleged illegal gambling operations in some barangays.
    The mayor said he had been receiving reports of alleged illegal gambling operations particularly along Otek St., Kayang St. and Legarda Road.
    BCPO operations chief Lt. Col. Domingo Gambican reported during the third quarter meeting of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting held recently that they have conducted nine operations in August and September this year which led to the arrest of 29 persons involved in illegal gambling.
    Gambican reported they also confiscated a total of P9,418 from the nine illegal gambling operations conducted.
Illegal gambling is among the non-index crimes being monitored in the city.
    For the third quarter of the year, the BPCPO recorded 151 non-index crimes which is 17.86 percent higher compared to the 148 incidences recorded for the same period last year.
    Per the BCPO report, the most prevalent non-index crimes from July to September this year are crimes related to illegal drugs, violence against women and children, unjust vexation, swindling and child abuse, respectively.
    Gambican explained non-index crimes in the police parlance are those with law enforcement initiated actions thereby the more police operations, the higher the statistics would show.
    Magalong in his speech after taking his oath of office for his first term as mayor back in 2019 instructed that all illegal gambling activities in the City shall cease to operate with a marching order to the police for zero tolerance to illegal gambling activities. – JMPS

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Baguio’s e-bingo proponent backs out; city council rescinds resolution

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY — Private  gaming firm RCC Global Inc. has backed out from its plan to operate additional electronic bingo (e-bingo) outlets in this city.
    Saying it will no longer  push through with its plan, the firm wrote a letter to the city council on June 23 expressing its intent to withdraw its request for an endorsement.
    Voting 9-5, the city council approved resolutions 208-2021 and 209-2021, granting the firm’s request to allow it to operate e-bingo outlets at the Cedar Peak on Mabini St. and Summer Pines Residences along Marcos Highway.
    A resolution containing a statement of no objection from the city or municipal council is needed in applying for a gaming site operation.
    All resolutions enacted by the city council were presented for approval to Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
Magalong returned the resolutions to the city council unsigned and with a marginal note that said the matter requires public consultation.
    Heeding the call of the chief executive, the city council held a public consultation on June 4.
    Religious groups, youth organizations, and other concerned citizens trooped to the Baguio Convention Center on the said date to denounce the move to allow more e-bingo sites in the city.
    Of the 262 participants, no one spoke in favor of the operations of e-bingo in the city.
    Magalong criticized the proponent’s failure to personally attend the public consultation to listen to the sentiments of Baguio residents.
    He said the proponent’s decision not to send a representative is “a sign of disrespect to the local government and the people of Baguio.”
    The city council had received more than 50 position papers from various organizations and individuals strongly opposing the request of the company and/or all gambling activities in the city.
    In light of recent developments, the city council last Monday moved to recall/rescind/withdraw resolution 208-2021 and resolution 209-2021.
    The city council conducted a public consultation on June 4, which was attended by religious groups, youth organizations and other concerned citizens at the Baguio Convention Center.
    Under the Gaming Site Regulatory Manual of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), one requirement for the application of a gaming site is a statement of no objection from the city/municipal council through a resolution or an ordinance.

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Big-time Baguio gambling den opens after132 nabbed

BAGUIO CITY – A big-time illegal gambling den here, raided earlier on June 12 which resulted in the arrest of 132 persons is back in operation having opened the next day after the raid, sources said. Sources said the gambling den is now in operation at press time and they were wondering why city police were not raiding it.
    Police and anti-narcotics agents raided the illegal gambling den here at the AYK commercial building, along Legarda Road earlier evening of Independence Day.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee bared earlier prior to the operation, a concerned individual tipped off police about illegal gambling activities at said building.

Immediately, operatives reportedly conducted monitoring and surveillance, then launched the operation upon verifying the information.

Citing reports from Col. Elmer Ragay, Lee said out of132 personalities including table managers, 124 bettors were arrested during the operation.

Confiscated items from the arrested suspects were: complete set for Drop Ball (Salisi), gambling cards, television set for online sabong, gambling chips, bet money amounting to P363,170,  laptop computer, ad papers containing numerical figures for  net proceeds, chairs, tables and ball pends.

All arrested suspects were released after they were subjected to inquest proceedings on June 13.

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9 nabbed in Benguet, Ifugao for gambling

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad Benguet- Police arrested nine persons for illegal gambling in Benguet and Ifugao on June 8 and 9.
Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee identified the suspects in Benguet as April Palangyos Sacla, 36; Nestor Aguinaldo Galawa, 44; Melchor Palangyos Wanti, 47, Rafael Samidan Mayos III, 42; Weuber Tadina Patingan, 38; and Sem Tanganga Dagas Jr, 30.
    In Ifugao, arrested suspects were named as Israel Nganoy Bahiwag, 37; Jay Bantule Dinamling, 33; and Jaime Bangeng Tumiguing, 52.
    In Benguet, Buguias town police and Benguet 1st Provincial Mobile Force Co. elements arrested suspects Sacla, Galawa and Wanti while betting in an illegal cockfighting in Palacad, Catlubong, Buguias.
    Seized from them were bet money, bet list notebook and two fighting cocks.
    Cops also arrested suspects Mayos III, Patingan, and Dagas Jr.  while playing tong-its in Puguis, La Trinidad on June 8 after responding to a report of ongoing illegal gambling in the area.
    Seized from the suspects were bet money and playing cards.

In Ifugao, joint operatives of Lagawe town police and 1st PMFC arrested  Bahiwag, Dinamling and Tumuguing while playing tong-its at the kitchen of Tumiguing’s residence in Sitio Pukut, Poblacion North, Lagawe.

Seized from them were bet money and the playing cards.

All suspects and pieces of evidence were brought to respective operating units where charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling) and n PD 449 (cockfighting law) were prepared against them.

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Illegal gambling in Baguio City

EDITORIAL

Illegal gambling in Baguio had been an on and off situation over the years depending on who held power.
    The issue this time is purportedly how to stop drop-ball operations in the city.
    A city government press dispatch said mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered again the Baguio City Police Office to stop this form of illegal gambling and urged barangays to do their part in making sure bingo social activities will not be used as front for illegal gambling.
    The mayor said he had no qualms over bingo social activities as these help barangays raise funds to buy equipment like computers and CCTVs. “Ang problema, bingo ang nasa harapan pero sa likod dropball,” he said.
    In September 2019, the mayor nearly rejected bingo social fund-raising proposal from barangays due to similar reported incidents of bingo-cum-drop ball gambling.
    However after considering plight of barangays needing funds to sustain their programs, the mayor agreed with Association of Barangay Councils president councilor Michael Lawana to allow bingo social subject to strict compliance with administrative order 79 series of 2012 which sets the guidelines on bingo social activities.
    As per the AO issued during the term of former mayor Mauricio Domogan, barangays are required to submit a resolution and a project proposal detailing where the event’s proceeds will go and an after-activity audited financial report.
    No persons below 18 years of age will be allowed to play or loiter around the place and that prizes must all be in-kind.
    As per ABC endorsement, bingo social activities must be confined within premises of the barangay and must not include any other kind of illegal gambling or games.
    The BCPO was tasked to monitor activities to ensure no gambling or illegal games are allowed and the barangay must ensure peace and order and sanitation are observed within the premises.
    Violation of any of the conditions would automatically revoke the endorsement. 
    Now, there is another form of gambling which had been going on in Baguio like in other parts of the country for so long. For many years, jueteng operators had been raking in money by pretending they are running Small Town Lottery Operations when in fact, STL is just a front for jueteng.  
 

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Baguio City council sets E-Bingo public hearing

Amid backlash from religious, folks

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Amid backlash from concerned sectors like religious and cause-oriented organizations, the City Council decided to conduct a public consultation on proposed additional electronic bingo outlets here on June 4, either at the Baguio Convention Center or the city hall multipurpose hall to get sentiment of people on the matter.
    The public consultation will be done virtually to ensure the city’s legislative body will reach a significant portion of the city’s residents for them to share insights on the controversial issue.
    Presented during recent regular session of the council were three options on how to deal with the notation of Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong on the two approved resolutions approving  application of a gaming and amusement corporation for opening of two additional electronic bingo outlets in the city, particularly in Cedar Peak along Mabini St., and Summer Residences along Marcos highway.
    Magalong said he will not sign the said resolutions as the same requires public consultations.
Among the options that were considered by the body were to override the veto, conduct public consultation before acting on the matter, or to archive it.
    However, with a vote of 11 councilors in favor of public consultation, one against and two abstentions, the council agreed to schedule public consultation with strict adherence to health and safety protocols.
    Earlier, the council passed two separate resolutions that approved the request of a gaming and amusement corporation for the operation of two additional electronic and traditional bingo outlets in the mentioned sites that caused an uproar among concerned sectors and some members of the local legislative body who also raised procedural issues on how the same were approved in a single session.
    During the approval of the two controversial electronic bingo resolutions, nine councilors voted in favor of approval of operation of the additional electronic bingo outlets while five councilors voted against said proposals.
    The mayor returned the two resolutions unsigned saying the proposals needed required public consultations to get opinion of residents on the matter.
    In its application filed before the city council, the proponent claimed said he intends to operate electronic and traditional bingo and other games authorized by the State-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in the sites that had been previously identified for the purpose.
    The council required the proponent to submit to the body all documents issued by the regulating agencies to support its application to operate the additional electronic bingo outlets to address issues raised by some members and concerned sectors on the company’s alleged lack of supporting documents to justify its operation of the gambling joints that will be established in the city once the issues concerning the resolutions had been addressed during the public hearing. 

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Cop nabbed for extorting from gambling operators

By Vince Jacob A. Visaya

PENABLANCA, Cagayan -- A police officer was arrested after he was caught receiving marked money from illegal cockfight operators in an entrapment operation here on Monday, police said.
    Nabbed was SSg. Arphie Bryan Ligutan Tuliao, member of the Peñablanca police intelligence division.
    He was placed under restricted status and faces criminal and administrative charges. Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, PNP-Region 2 regional police director, spokesperson, said on Tuesday they do not condone colleagues involved in any erring activities.
    He ordered the immediate probe on Tuliao for grave misconduct and summary dismissal proceedings. Tuliao was caught receiving P6,000 marked money as initial payment for P40,000 grease money supposedly in exchange of withdrawing charges against cockfighters who were earlier arrested for tupada (illegal cockfighting).

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Vizcaya town LGU, DepEd execs nabbed for gambling

By Leander Domingo

BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya -- A joint operation by the Cagayan provincial and Solana municipal police has led to the arrest of local government unit employees and teachers for illegal gambling in Solana.
    Col. Ariel Quilang, Cagayan Provincial Police Office chief, said some of those caught gambling in Solana hold high positions in the LGU and teachers under the supervision of the Dept. of Education.
    Quilang said among the nine suspects were a municipal administrator, a barangay councilman, some teachers and senior citizens.
    He said police operatives raided the gambling den in Barangay Andarayan South in Solana after the Cagayan provincial intelligence unit gave them the go-signal.
    “The joint police operative responded to a report coming from the Cagayan provincial intelligence unit and found nine suspects in the house in one of the suspects who is a teacher by profession,” Quilang said.
    He said the raid was based on the complaints of some residents in the area that gambling was regularly taking place which could endanger the health and safety of the community from Covid-19.

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21 arrested in Baguio for online cockfighting

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A total of 21 individuals were arrested after police and Criminal Investigation Group Cordillera operatives  implemented a search warrant for violation of Presidential Decree  1602 (illegal gambling) evening of March 29 at Hilltop, Kayang, Baguio City.
    This was bared in a report submitted by Baguio City Police to Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. R’win S. Pagkalinawan at regional police headquarters here at Camp Dangwa.
    Police confiscated P8,644 cash, playing cards, Hisense television; 1LDT home fiber model, PLDT home fiber box and tables and chairs allegedly used by suspects in  gambling and online cockfighting activities at  said place.
    Suspects were identified as Patricio Tubera Boadilla  Jr., Richard Dela Cruz, Clifford Bedrijo, Arman Parrocha, Romeo  Mina, Romel Balbosa, Ato Dick Javier, Julius Vallar, Jerwin  Guzman, Rolando Natividad Jr., Reynaldo Niocena Jr., Biliong Agandres, Cyrus Bedrijo, Joseph Molina, Juan Amistad, Berlyna  Padilla; Veronica Danganan, Alma Boadilla; Maria Rica Guiterrez, Ahleen May Tamayo and Reynaldo Delosantos Gutierez.
    The arrested suspects and confiscated items were brought to CIDG regional office where charges for illegal gambling were prepared against them.
 

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6 nabbed in Benguet for illegal gambling

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Police arrested six men for illegal gambling in three operations in the province on March 25 and 28. 

Col. Reynaldo Pasiwen, Benguet police director identified suspects  as Jerwin Diola, Geffson Cuanso Balingan, Amor Dosil Isiada, Joner Atonan Fernando, Mario Singol Poroc and Felipe Calado Tinoy-an.
    Diola was arrested in Palina, Taloy Sur, Tuba town after being caught in the act of collecting Small Town Lottery (STL) bet from a pseudo bettor without permit from the Philippine Charity Sweeptakes Office.

Three drivers were also nabbed by elements of Criminal Investigation Group and Tublay police for playing card game (tong-its) inside a truck parked in at a chicken dung storage parking area  along the Halsema Highway at Sitio Kapungan, Caponga Tublay town.

CIDG operatives were patrolling the area when they spotted the suspects playing cards so they coordinated with Tublay police for arrest of suspects.

Operatives identified the three suspects as  as Geffson Cuanso Balingan, 42, resident of Ampusongan, Bakun town and Amor Dosil Isiada, 50; Joner Atonan Fernando, 34, both residents of Poblacion, Kibungan town.

Recovered from them were P850 bet money and one set of playing cards.

The suspects and confiscated items were brought to Tublay police station.

They were charged for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (illegal gambling) and were released from detention on March 26 after posting P15,000 each as bail bond.

Meanwhile, Mario Singol Poroc, 59 and Felipe Calado Tinoy-an, 67, were arrested during a raid of a cockfighting den at Sitio Payew Alno, La Trinidad on March 28.

Two suspects were nabbed while the others ran when the operatives showed up.

Two Jolo fighter Roosters, one notebook containing a list and amount of bet, and a black ball pen were also confiscated.

The violators and confiscated items were brought to CIDG Benguet  where charges for illegal gambling were prepared against them.

 

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7 nabbed for drugs, gambling, firearms

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Brig. Gen, R’win SA Pagkalinawan, Cordillera police chief said seven persons were arrested last week in the region for illegal drugs, gambling and firearms.
    Junie Magmoyao Gumpad, 33, of Purok 7, Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga was apprehended at Gen Luna St.  Casigayan in the city.
    Confiscated from his possession were sachet containing suspected shabu, P21,000 cash, one Iphone, and two Toyota commuter vans.
     Gumpad’s companion, identified as Clever Vince Sumedca Alisto, 21, construction worker of Dagupan West, Tabuk was also arrested for robbery.
    Four gamblers were also caught playing card games at Macmac-ac, Poblacion East, Lagawe, Ifugao.
    Arrested were Venancio Silverio Cumilang, Gil Mark Dela Cruz Pugong, Noriel Timacdog Dulnuan and Dennis Tayaban Baccay.     Playing cards, P2,230 bet money and other gambling paraphernalia were seized during the operation.
     Beatrice Magwin Bilin aka Betty was also apprehended in her residence in Sitio Ag-agama, Western Uma, Lubuagan, Kalinga wherein three rifle grenades were confiscated from her.

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Kubradors, troubadours, contractors

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- They’re back. On the first day of this month, they re-invaded their turf. They were back on their usual routes in barangays, in the market, eskinitas and even in government offices.
    If the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) can allow tourists to now ramble around, why can’t they. That could have been the reason jueteng operators were compelled to let loose their bet collectors back on the streets.
    And since most kubradors for jueteng are the bet collectors for Small Town Lottery (STL), the latter has also resumed operations after six months of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as long as they maintained the minimum health standards set by the task force.
    Many if not all jueteng kubradors involved in guerilla operations wear STL green vests and use IDs issued for STL. Senator Ping Lacson said this years ago, further saying that the police know it because it is happening on the ground. On many occasions, the police had been accused for lack of commitment to get rid of jueteng.
    Exactly, jueteng and guerilla operations may be the reasons PCSO is not complaining about its collection from STL operators. Is it because operators still have enough room for guerrilla operations?
    The senator then urged the PCSO to maximize its collection of the required remittance from authorized agent corporations (AACs) called presumptive monthly retail receipts (PMRR), so it could get its full share from franchises and operators and limit the elbow room for guerrilla operations.
    Last week’s news reports confirmed that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) already issued a circular to all 61 ACCs allowing them to continue after their STL and lotto operations were suspended in March.
    However, this year’s operation will not be part of the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic because as usual, STL comes back but jueteng comes back with it.
    Again, PCSO will not mind being “cheated” in its STL operations as Sen. Lacson, now vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement which he chaired in the past, estimated that P50 billion a year is lost in STL operations.
    Sen. Lacson claimed in 2017 that jueteng collections reached an estimated P50 billion a year or P50 million to P65 million daily as compared to P6.4 billion generated from STL operations in a previous year.
    The computation for the PMRR is arrived at by considering the 30 per cent of the voting population multiplied by P2.50 average bet, by three draws a day and by 30 days. But how can the PCSO maximize its collection when the operator of STL in an area is the jueteng operator himself, if not in cahoots with jueteng personalities?
***
When the Luzon-wide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic took effect on March 17, 2020; one portion of society that was heavily affected was the live entertainment section dominated by performing musicians and artists all over.
    Their allied workers in the night spots such as the dancers, waitresses and waiters, dishwashers and kitchen helpers suddenly became jobless and useless. This sector should have been given a special share of the Social Amelioration Fund under the “Bayanihan to Heal as One” law.
    With the economy reopening slowly but necessarily, local IATF should consider allowing the troubadours and their partners back to their workplace since these people also have families to support.
    As in dine-in restaurants and fast food joints where tables were rearranged in observance of health protocols, the same can be done in watering holes and entertainment bars. With a live band covering Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind'', a table for two is just perfect.
***
While it may not be illegal or unlawful, the act of inserting amounts of money in the national expenditure program for projects in a certain congressional district that becomes the conduit where one gets his share from the inserted amounts, is simply immoral.
    I look at this as money-laundering done in another style. The typical example is for a congressman to insert P1 Billion in the national budget law to fund a road project in a province. Since it takes two to tango, the contractor who bids the project gives back the percentage share of the lawmaker from the amount collected from the project.
    The lawmaker’s share could be equivalent to 20 per cent. Some can go as high as 40 per cent, I was told. In most cases, contractors pay an initial amount even before bidding the project, then pay the balance upon the first collection based on the accomplishment of the project. Some contractors advance the full amount.
    For the lawmaker responsible for the insertion, the money comes easy and unseen. If the funds allocated and inserted in various line agencies has a total of P10 Billion, the expected 40 percentage share is equivalent to P4 billion. Cool and simple.
    Maybe that is why even politicians who are not from Benguet wish to become this province’s congressman. This early, I am told that one of them is distributing public works projects to favored contractors, especially those who are not from Benguet.
It is being spread in public that the politician has been giving dole-outs of cash during meetings with barangay kapitanes and local chief executives, although I suspect the money being given away was from the percentage obligations collected from contractors.
    What is quite disturbing is the manner employed by such a politician in convincing people to accept him as their true representative, with his henchmen making the rounds this early in the 13 municipalities of Benguet.
    In doing those rounds, assurances are made to contractors big and small, while one or two infra projects worth a few millions are promised to each of the 140 Punong Barangays. Be careful. Beautiful things that are attractive and easily offered may be very ugly in the end.
    It is pitiful that Benguet reaches such a situation. It is sad and insulting that because of rosy promises, donations and cash dole-outs; we allow our affairs to be run by an outsider who is unmistakably pushing things for personal gains. In other words, we are selling Benguet if it has not been bought.  
***
Still on public works anomalies, one of the contractors is complaining that a project bidding in Benguet that he participated in has been requested by the BAC to be declared as a “failure” even while his documents have yet to be evaluated.
    In short, he has not been disqualified but the bidding was declared a failure. There was likely a miscommunication but the damage has been done. The only solution to the problem is to award him the contract or else those responsible in destroying the process will reap the consequences.
    To make things worse, the project was rebidded this week even while not all the licensed contractors who participated in its first bidding have yet to be evaluated. The acts committed by the bids committee are clear violations of the anti-graft law and the procurement law. 

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15 nabbed for illegal gambling, illegal guns

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Police recently arrested 15 persons for illegal gambling and illegal firearms recently in Cordillera.

    Eight persons were apprehended at Lower Quirino Hill, Purok 04, Baguio City.

    They were identified as Meriam C Becasen; Nilo P Yubos, Rowena Kukubo, Cristina W Nabus. Anthony F Padon, Mark Allan M Langaoen, Jan Marco O Ternola and Benedict Bitudio. 

    Confiscated from them were P4,655 bet money,  playing cards,  among  other gambling paraphernalia.

    Four more alleged gamblers identified as Saldy T. Laduan, John T. Laduan, Mark J Morales and Rayven Dago were apprehended along Rubber Tree Alley, km 5 Asin, Baguio City August 16. 

    Confiscated from them were a set of playing cards and P230.00 bet money.

    Arrested for illegal guns were Mencio Dagyuman Manadao, 54; Issiah Dagyuman Manadao, 42 and Mateo Dagyuman Manadao, 45, all farmers.

    They were arrested in their residences in Maggabangon, Cudal, Tabuk City, Kalinga August 14.

    Confiscated from them were an M16 and six Garand rifles with bullets for different guns, Squidman rifle, shot gun among others. Judge Jerson E Angog of RTC, Branch 25, 2nd Judicial Region, Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga issued search warrant against the suspects.

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18 sued for illegal gambling in Cordi

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Cordillera police director Brig. Geb. R’win SA Pagkalinawan bared18 persons were arrested in Cordillera recently for illegal gambling while 10 more who were subject of warrants were nabbed.
      He said arrested for playing cards games at Purok 1 Holyghost Proper, Baguio City on Sept. 13 were Amante D Manis, 71, Ralph I Garcia, 35, security guard, Alvin A De Vera, 40, construction worker and Elizaldy V Quines, 34, janitor.
      This, while Nivea Faye B. Acena, Ermila Acena, Rowell Bautista and Rhect Paul B. Acena were reportedly arrested at Barangay Sta. Rosa, Bangued, Abra on Sept. 10.
      A set of playing cards, P566 bet money, four chairs and wooden table were confiscated from them. 
      Meanwhile, 10 wanted persons subject of warrants of arrest were also arrested. 
Melvin Villastiqui Laureta, 42, self-employed; Felix Taculao Brioso, 69, farmer; Claudio Curray Millare, 52, tricycle driver; Willie          Ragadio Villastiqui, 37, and Lea Villastiqui Bobita, 38, Peter Oriña Lee, 71, businessman, Sheree Valdez Bobita, 34, self-employed, and all residents of  Patucannay, Bangued, Abra were apprehended on Sept. 11. 
Judge German F. Ballesteros of MTC, Bangued, Abra set bail of P10,000 each for their temporary liberty. 
      Three more individuals were caught in their residences on Sept. 10. They were named as Romy Javier Ta-a, legal age, Abreco employee and a resident of Barangay South Poblacion, San Juan, Abra, Dante Claor Cardona, legal age, retired PNP member, and a resident of Barangay Badas, San Juan, Abra, and George Tamayo Isao, of Barangay Sabangan, San Juan, Abra. 
      Judge Eilyn Beverly  Bless L. Castillo-Rimando of 7th Municipal Circuit Trial Court, Dolores Abra set bail of P10,000 each for their temporary liberty. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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11 nabbed in Cordi for gambling, guns, logging

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Eleven persons were charged in court after they were arrested recently in Cordillera for illegal gambling, guns and logging.

Cordillera police director Brig. Gen R’win Pagkalinawan bared this here at the regional police office in Camp Dangwa saying five miners were arrested for illegal gambling in Upper Tram, Ucab, Itogon, Benguet Sept. 5.

He said miners caught playing cards were identified as John Sinadcop Dondon, Dominador Dela Cruz Agtarap, Samuel T. Waking, Mario E. Tolino and Jestoni G. Balintag.

Police confiscated a set of poker cards and P1,300 bet money.

Meanwhile, Julisis Barbon Borreta, 25, of Baddec, Palao, Bangued, Abra was arrested at a checkpoint in Palao Sept. 6 after he was caught in possession of a gun without documents.

Confiscated from him were a Cal.38 handgun loaded with five bullets and ammunition for calibers 38, .5.56.  .22 an a Swiss knife.

For illegal logging, nabbed was Julian Mabini Agusto, 45, of Kias, Virac, Baguio City who was arrested at Purok 1, Pinsao Proper, Baguio City.

He was caught cutting trees without permit Sept. 6. Confiscated from him were cut pine lumber, and a chain saw.  

Four more individuals were arrested after they failed to present pertinent documents for 1,300 board feet of Talasik and Dao lumber loaded in an Elf truck bearing plate number WPM 568 in Purok 5, Barangay Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga on Sept. 3.

Arrested were Jowers Banooy Sibayan 22, driver; Jewars Fossawil Sibayan and Danmark Tobera Gaddung, students, and Ronie Balingwa Dawayan, out of school youth, all 19 years old and residents of Makilo Calaccad, Tabuk City. Said lumber had a market value of P58,500.

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