Roxas orders manhunt for 5 ‘tong’ collectors

MANILA, Philippines - A policeman and four others were reportedly identified as the ones who collect “tong” or protection money each week from illegal gambling operators in Metro Manila and nearby provinces by using the name of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas II, an official said yesterday.

Roxas has ordered a manhunt for “PO2 Aguas,” “Jing Acenas,” “William Cajayon,” “Gerry Salustiano” and “Sgt. Martinez” after their names were mentioned by some of the 48 persons arrested by a Special Projects Unit under the DILG’s Office of Internal Security, SPU-OIS head Chief Inspector Fergen Torred said. 

The SPU-OIS staged 16 raids on illegal gambling operations in Metro Manila and Region 4A from March 1 to April 5, and those arrested claimed the five persons collected protection money from them each week. Torred said they filed nine cases against the 48 persons nabbed during the raids.

Roxas “is mad after learning about the tong collection activities of PO2 Aguas and the four others so he ordered a massive manhunt for them,” Torred said in an interview.

He added that the DILG has a “no take” policy on illegal gambling.