War on gambling draws first blood
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Police stepped up its war on illegal gambling in Central Luzon the past week, arresting nine suspects in three provinces and posting the first fatality in the new anti-crime campaign with the death of a “jueteng” operator who allegedly shot it out with lawmen in Candaba, this province.
Chief Superintendent Amador V. Corpus, Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) regional director, identified the slain suspect only by his alias, “Barak,” who allegedly died after trading shots with a police raiding team in Sitio Dos, Barangay Bahay Pare in Candaba.
Two of Barak’s alleged cohorts – a certain “Paul” and one “Arnold,” also shot it out with police but managed to elude arrest, said Corpus.
He said police arrested other alleged associates of the suspects, who were later identified as Lilibeth Mariano Yambao, 40; Manolito Dela Cruz Villorente, 48; and Victorino Bulaon Dela Cruz, 57; all of Barangay Bahay Pare, Candaba; and Reggie Roberto Bernardino, 46; and Paul Anthony Munsayac Ignacio, 22, both of Baliuag, Bulacan.
The team collected a .45-caliber pistol, bullet casings, jueteng paraphernalia (papelitos), and cash in various denominations.
Last September 12, a separate operation in the City of San Fernando resulted in the arrest of jueteng bet collector Eliza Dolores Calaquian, 34, married and a resident of Barangay Maimpis in ths city. She yielded R282 in bet money and various jueteng paraphernalia.
Another police operation in the same day led to the arrest of Enrimo Mercado Cruz, 51, administrative aide at the Guagua Municipal Hall. He was allegedly caught in the act of collecting jueteng bets in Barangay Sto. Niño of the said town and yielded R300 cash.
Meanwhile in Bulacan, the police anti-gambling drive resulted in the arrest of Abigail Rivera Castro, 34, in Barangay Niugan, Angat town. Seized from her were four receipts of collections, papelitos, and R1,991 cash in various denominations.
In Tarlac, Ronnie Pascual Dizon, 33, was also caught in the act of collecting bets for jueteng in an anti-vice operation Barangay Pando, Concepcion, Tarlac. Cash bets totaling R530, papelitos and other jueteng paraphernalia were found in his possession.