CIDG raids newly elected barangay chairman’s house

KORONADAL CITY – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in South Cotabato raided the compound of a newly-elected chairman of Barangay Morales, this city, at around 9:30 a.m. Friday, arresting 10

persons and confiscated several illegal gambling paraphernalias and alleged bet money.

Armed with a search warrant and accompanied by two barangay officials, elements of the CIDG-South Cotabato, led by Superintendent Henry Dazo, raided the compound owned by newly-elected Chairman Raul Aloot of Barangay Morales this city.

The search warrant, dated Nov. 15, was issued by Executive Judge Alureano Alzate of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 25 here.

The CIDG team arrested 10 persons and confiscated 83 pieces of tally sheets, a .38 caliber pistol with five live bullets and alleged bet money of more than P53,000 in a waiting shed located at the compound of Aloot’s house, Dazo told The STAR in a cellphone interview yesterday.

Dazo said Aloot, one of the prominent businessmen in this city, was not in the compound when they raided his house. 

Aloot was suspected of engaging in the illegal numbers game, locally known here as “last two,” “first two” and “pick three” where its results were based on the lotto draw every night. 

Dazo said the CIDG is set to file charges against Aloot for violating Section 3, Paragraph C, of RA 9287, otherwise known as an “Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Numbers Games, amending certain provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1602.”

The raid – conducted after weeks of surveillance is part of the Regional CIDG’s anti-illegal gambling operations targeting big-time financiers and bring them to jail to stop their illegal operations.

For his part, Aloot admitted to The STAR that he was once involved in the operations of the illegal numbers games but he already stopped after he was elected as barangay kagawad of Morales.