First jueteng tipster now P10,000 richer

A male informant became P10,000 richer yesterday after he tipped off police of the location of a "jueteng" draw which resulted in the arrest of 16 illegal gambling employees and bettors during a raid in Quezon City.

Acting Metro Manila police director Chief Superintendent Rowland Albano handed over the cash reward to the informant who showed up at his office after the successful raid conducted on a "jueteng" den at 8B Kaunlaran St., Barangay Batasan Hills.

The police raiders missed the "jueteng" financier identified as Jesse Viceo of Bulacan and its maintainer, Ian Santos, but arrested eight of their personnel and eight bettors and confiscated P358 in cash bets and gambling paraphernalia.

Albano refused to divulge the name of the male informant for fear that Viceo would go after him. "The male informant just presented his identification card and after close scrutiny, I handed him his P10,000 reward," said Albano saying the money came from the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) budget. The male informant was the first recipient of the police rewards scheme in their fight against "jueteng."

Earlier, Albano offered a P10,000 reward for information leading to a successful operation in places where "jueteng" draws are held to offset the low success rate of the five police districts in their efforts to implement Interior Secretary Joey Lina’s effort to curb illegal gambling in one year.

Because of the successful raid in Quezon City, Albano is encouraging the public to report directly to him "jueteng" draw locations for prompt action through his direct line, tel. no. 925-8156.

Albano said he received 15 tips regarding the presence of "jueteng" operations last Wednesday alone. However, only five tips were found "promising" and one ended in positive results.

Those arrested were about to draw the winning combination of their afternoon draw when raiders led by Superintendent Bayani de la Rea, head of the Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) swooped down on the place at about 4:45 p.m. Friday.

De la Rea identified those arrested as Noel Pilapil, 34; Simeon Santos, 56; Manolito Ramos, 40; Francisco Lucero, 54; Raymundo Reyes, 34; Marites Lumabad, 31; Marena Ranera, 23; Jenny Bubab, 21; Jaime Bangano, 50; Victoria Villaruz, 53; Ana Carpio, 38; Roberto Moreno, 58; Roel Simon, 28; Frederick Baylon, 21; Felipe Valdecanas, 53 and Joey Sardo, 53.

Aside from the cash bets, also recovered from them were one set of "bolilyo," four red pencil markers, three rubber stamps, one stamp pad, four ball pens, one booklet tally sheet, one yellow pad, two notebooks, a stapler and a calculator.

Albano said those arrested were charged with illegal gambling in the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. They are presently detained at the RISOO headquarters in Camp Bicutan, Taguig.