90 fall in Tarlac jueteng drive

CAMP MAKABULOS, Tarlac — A week-long campaign against jueteng in the province has led to the arrest of about 90 persons and the confiscation of nearly P75,000 in bet money.

The biggest hit in the renewed drive against illegal gambling was in Tarlac City when lawmen dispatched by police provincial director Senior Superintendent Mario San Diego, pounced on suspected jueteng dens in Barangay San Roque and Paradise Subdivision.

The Tarlac City raids led to the arrest of 63 persons and the confiscation of approximately P53,000 in bet money.

Lawmen identified the alleged financier and operator of the illegal game in the city as one Arnel Navarro.

Policemen, backed by elements from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)’s Task Force Jericho and the province’s police mobile units, also raided suspected illegal gambling dens in Concepcion, Moncada and Capas towns.

Reports reaching this police provincial camp identified the operators and financiers of the different jueteng dens as one Joel Laxamana of Pangasinan and "Ngo-ngo" of San Fernando City in Pampanga.

Apparently, the latter referred to Melchor Caliwag, whose popular nickname is "Ngo-ngo" and is reportedly running for president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) in San Fernando City.

Board members Alvin Belarmino and Eric Quizon, together with provincial board ex-officio member, Dr. Isaias Apostol, who chairs the provincial chapter here of the Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL-Tarlac), commended the police for a "job well done."

Meanwhile, in Tarlac City, Barangay Maliwalo village chief, Ernesto Galang, disclosed that the city’s barangay chairmen entered into an agreement with San Diego in supporting the police-led anti-jueteng drive by providing information on the operations of the illegal game.

Galang, who chairs the ABC-Tarlac City, added that his colleagues also agreed to provide lawmen with village tanods as backup in the campaign against all forms of illegal gambling. — Benjie Villa