Village official in Argao arrested, detained for illegal gambling

SINCE two gamblers needed another player before they could start, they invited a barangay official to play a card game with them in Barangay Tulic in Argao town yesterday morning.

Barangay Tulic Councilor Roel Sarillana, 48, reportedly obliged.

Unfortunately for him, his friendly gesture resulted in his arrest and could mean a court case for him and his companions.

“Di kuno siya sugarol… nataymingan lang kuwangan og usa (He said he’s not a gambler),” Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, the town police chief, said in a phone interview.

Policemen learned of the illegal activity when a woman called the police station at 10:45 a.m. and reported that a group of men were playing “tongits” outside Sarillana’s house in Sitio Labangon.

She railed against her husband’s failure to provide for their family, but did not identify who h er husband is.

When a police team arrived in the sitio, they immediately arrested Sarillana and his companion Orlando Pallin, 52. The other gambler, Juan Alberta Jr., evaded arrest.

Seized from their possession were P257 cash and a deck of cards.

In a separate phone interview, PO2 Manuelito Abrenica Jr. said they will charge the three persons with illegal gambling, a violation of Presidential Decree 1602.

In the same town, a disagreement over the illegal coin game hantak led to a farmer’s death in Sitio Tabon in Barangay Langub at 3:45 p.m. last Thursday.

Edgar Embudo, a resident of Langub, was stabbed by his friend Alejandro Sardo Albarracin while the latter was playing hantak.

SPO2 Manuelito Abrenica said the victim advised Albarracin to stop playing because he already lost P130. But Albarracin got annoyed and argued with Embudo.

Albarracin then pulled out his hunting knife from his waistband and stabbed Embudo twice in the chest and arm. He died instantly.

Using his cousin’s motorcycle, the suspect drove toward the national highway to surrender to responding policemen.

He is now detained in the municipal jail pending the filing of a complaint against him.