Jueteng resurfaces; 19 nabbed in QC

Jueteng is back in Metro Manila following the arrest of 19 collectors and collection coordinators of the illegal numbers game during two separate raids conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in Quezon City.

The anti-jueteng campaign was intensified by the NCRPO following a warning from Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon that he would relieve police officials found remiss in their duties to stop the resurfacing of the illegal numbers game.

Police had kept the twin raids under wraps. However, The STAR was able to get a copy of a report submitted to the prosecutor’s office in Quezon City, where charges of violation of the anti-jueteng law were filed against the suspects.

The first raid was conducted last Aug. 26 on a shanty located along Mindanao Avenue Extension in Project 8, resulting in the arrest of seven jueteng personnel, and the confiscation of gambling paraphernalia and P1,056 in bets.

Arrested were Domingo Mendoza, 40; Omar Catapang, 37; Romulo de Guzman, 47; Melchor Olarte, 51; Dominic Lacerna, 41; Michael Bernardo, 30; Jay Reyes, 30, and George Cervantes, 55.

Except for Cervantes, who is a resident of Project 8, all the suspects listed their address at 292 Sto. Nino street in Barangay Sto. Nino, Marikina City.

The suspects yielded four pieces of red balls, seven bet lists, a calculator, a red pencil, and the result of the 34 x 11 winning combination for the day under the code name "Bago."

The second raid was conducted last Aug. 30 on a house along Tandang Sora in Barangay Banlat, where 12 jueteng personnel were arrested.

Arrested were Jessie Domingo, 29; Emil Javier, 27; Monina Ramos, 23; Perlita Rivera, 35; Eloisa Gonzaga, 29; Maricel Hernandez, 24; Catherine Garcia, 34; Reily Gazzingan, 22; Bonifacio Abides, 37; Keneth Lomanta, 38; Boy Apo, 56, and Charlita Francisco, 45. Those arrested were from San Rafael town in Bulacan and Novaliches.

The raid led to the confiscation of a "bolillo" set numbered 1 to 37, a calculator, and bets amounting to P980.

Assistant city prosecutor Romana Lindayag recommended a P20,000 bail for the temporary liberty of the suspects.

The report did not identify the operators of the jueteng dens. But sources said the resurfacing of jueteng in Metro Manila could be attributed to a trio that claimed they had the blessings of ranking officials at the NCRPO and Camp Crame.