Caloocan jueteng ‘big fish’ nabbed

Officials of the Northern Police District (NPD) believe they have bagged a "big fish" in their fight against the illegal numbers game jueteng with the arrest of Maritoni Mendoza, reportedly a trusted employee of the area’s top jueteng lord.

Mendoza, 32, of 39 Kabulusan Dos, Caloocan City, is allegedly the "bagman" of Anton "TS" Santos, known as the biggest financier of jueteng in the northern metropolis.

Mendoza was apprehended with nine others by the NPD-District Police Intillegence Unit led by Chief Inspector Sotero Ramos Jr. and Senior Inspector Sammy Sevilla. She was caught while reportedly counting their collection and revising their bet list in a suspected gambling den in Caloocan.

Interviewed by The STAR, Mendoza denied being engaged in jueteng. "Loteng na lang po ako, small time lang (I’m only engaged in small time loteng)," she said.

Sources, however, said Mendoza is well-connected with ranking police officials.

It was observed by reporters that Mendoza was very casual when she was presented to the media and even shook hands with a ranking police official.

NPD director Senior Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., ordered his men to clamp down on all forms of illegal gambling operations. Last Wednesday, his men also arrested 17 jueteng personnel in Valenzuela.

Meanwhile, 10 people were arrested in a raid over the weekend at a jueteng den in Mandaluyong.

Those arrested were reportedly working for a certain "Momong," allegedly the biggest jueteng operator in the city.

Elements of the Mayor’s Action Command (MAC) under Tito Enriquez cornered the suspects while in the act of drawing the winning combination at the interior area of Barangay Hulo. Those arrested named Momong as their financier. – Pete Laude and Non Alquitran