Anti-jueteng drive nets 5 in Parañaque

MANILA, Philippines - Five alleged illegal gambling personnel were arrested over the weekend by lawmen in a raid at a suspected jueteng joint in Parañaque City.

Police said Willie Santos, Reynaldo Cataga, Celestino Sta. Maria, Ramon Tumalad, 54, and Jaime Whitt, 44, all of San Rafael, Bulacan yielded P13,000 in cash bets and a handgun when they were cornered by operatives of Task Force Tugis of the police Intelligence Group.

Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee of Task Force Tugis yesterday said the raid was conducted at a suspected jueteng den maintained by a certain “Vice Mayor Viceo.”

After several weeks of surveillance operation, Lee and his men pounced on the suspects who at the time were drawing the jueteng winning combination at a parking lot of a fastfood chain in Sucat Avenue in Parañaque City on Saturday.

“The suspects were conducting the draw of winning bets inside a vehicle. They tried but failed to escape as they were surrounded,” Lee said.

One of the suspects, Whitt, was caught with a loaded Squires Bingham .22 caliber revolver.

Chief Inspector Roldan Daniel, of the records section of the Firearms and Explosive Office, said Whitt is not a licensed gun holder.

The raiding lawmen also seized a black Mitsubishi Adventure (TNI 607) from the suspects and a “bolilyo,” a device used in drawing the winning jueteng combination.

Lee said they are checking reports that Viceo is also behind the jueteng operations in Muntinlupa City while a certain Boy Orosco is ringleader in Taguig City.

Lee ordered the filing of illegal gambling charges against the five suspects while Whitt will be charged with illegal possession of firearms.