Suspected Swertres coordinator arrested

DUMAGUETE CITY ,Philippines  — A suspected coordinator of the illegal numbers game Swertres was arrested in Brgy. Calindagan of this city Sunday morning by intelligence operatives of the Cebu City-based Police Regional Office-7, in coordination with the Negros Oriental Police Intelligence Bureau and the City Police.

The suspect, Everit Lim, alias Ever, a resident of Melrose Mangnao here, was caught by authorities who were armed with arrest warrant issued by Judge Douglas A. C. Arigomen, presiding judge of RTC-Branch 5 in Cebu City.

Barangay Councilwoman Gemma Villaflores and tanod Dionisio Ysola witnessed the serving of the warrant against Lim who is now detained at the Negros Oriental Provincial Jail pending the filing of formal charges against him. .

Confiscated during the raid were voluminous yellow pads, allegedly used as tally sheets, and assorted coins placed inside a plastic container, believed to be bet money for the illegal numbers game.

The raiding team of the PRO-7 Intelligence Division was lead by Chief Insp. Rogelio Pineda, Jr., who was formerly assigned to the Dumaguete City Police Station.

Meanwhile, Judge Crescencio Rafael Tan, Jr. of the RTC-Branch 30 in Negros Oriental has sentenced to life imprisonment two women found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for illegal sale of dangerous drugs.

The two women, Grace Katalbas and Lalibeth Rodrigo, had sold shabu to a police undercover agent in separate police buy-bust operations last May 5, 2009 and November 26, 2008, respectively.

They were also ordered to pay a fine of P500,000 by the special drugs court judge.