Jueteng lord suspends draws as cops rev up anti-gambling drive

MANILA, Philippines - A known jueteng lord in Metro Manila has reportedly ordered a temporary stoppage in operations of the illegal numbers game for at least a week.

This was learned from a bet collector in Sampaloc who said that “Boy Abang,” a Tondo-based big-time operator of the illegal numbers game, ordered a one-week stoppage of draws in the hope that the issue would eventually die down.

“Boy Abang’s instructions were to lie low for a week,” the collector said.

Aside from jueteng, Abang also operates and controls horse racing bookies and well as “video karera” in various areas in Metro Manila, another source said.

In Manila alone, where he started his “business,” Abang has been raking millions in his illegal numbers game operations. Draws are held three times a day, seven days a week.

On top of this, he also operates “loteng,” wherein the winning bets are based on the results of government-sponsored lotto draws.

Another informant said Abang’s network “is big and untouchable. Nearly everyone, from city and local officials, police and some members of media, is in his pocket.”

He added that Abang, because of his influence, was able expand his illegal operations to other cities in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Manila Police District officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla has declared an all-out war against all forms of illegal gambling in the city to comply with a directive of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo to stamp out jueteng and all forms of illegal gambling in the country.

In his memorandum dated Sept. 16, Rongavilla directed the MPD’s 11 police station commanders and the chiefs of the Special Task Group and District Police Intelligence Operations Unit to conduct operations against all forms of illegal gambling within their respective areas of jurisdiction and immediately submit report after every conduct of operation.

Rongavilla also tasked the MPD’s intelligence unit to identify the operators and protectors of illegal horse race bookies, video karera and fruit game machines, color games, loteng and jueteng.

As this developed, Rongavilla announced the arrest of Raffy Santos, 47; Sally Alvaro, 37; Ceejay Bautista, 22; and Raymundo Valdez, 22, for allegedly collecting horse race bets in Pandacan, Manila.

A video karera machine, reportedly operated by a certain “Ferdinand Mariano,” was also seized from a house in Parola Compound, Tondo.

Rongavilla also tasked police to determine the veracity of reports that video karera machines proliferate in Jose Abad Santos in Tondo under the jurisdiction of Superintendent Ernesto Barlam. – With Nestor Etolle