3 Negros village chiefs face illegal gambling raps

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Three barangay captains in Negros Occidental were charged for illegal gambling before the Kabankalan City prosecutor’s office yesterday.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) tagged Noli Villarosa of Barangay Tangub in this city as financier of small town lottery (STL) operations in Kabankalan.

Roel Alibango and Franz Leonard Seguero of Barangays 5 and 6, respectively, in Kabankalan, were said to be STL ”protectors.”

NBI-Bacolod office chief Renoir Baldovino said Seguero called for a meeting of unauthorized STL bet collectors on Feb. 8, which was attended by Alibango and a still unidentified illegal STL manager.

Baldovino said Villarosa, who met with barangay captains of Kabankalan in January, promised barangay captains that they would get their share from STL operations.

Baldovino said some barangay captains who attended the meeting are willing to give their statements to substantiate the charges against the respondents.

The barangay officials denied the allegations.

Villarosa said he would resign if proven that he is involved in illegal gambling. He claimed his meeting with other barangay captains discussed the creation of a still unnamed party-list.