Masiao ‘coordinator’ falls

CEBU, Philippines - Police arrested an alleged coordinator of an illegal numbers game and eight others, including three minors, during a raid in Sitio Villagonzalo 2, Barangay Tejero, last Friday night.

Operatives of the City Intelligence Branch also seized masiao paraphernalia and around P10,000 cash believed to be bet money for the illegal numbers game.

Arrested was alleged masiao coordinator Steve Tan and alleged ushers Anabella Aparicio, Fe Teves, Ramon Hermosa, Ramon Javier, and Ligaya Palabo.  The three minors were reportedly caught betting on the game.

CIB head Chief Insp. Romeo Santander said the police have been monitoring Tan, who is one of those included in their watchlist of personalities involved in the proliferation of illegal gambling in the city. He added that masiao coordinators transfer from one place to another to evade authorities.

Santander said an operative acted as a decoy and facilitated Tan’s arrest.  The CIB chief said Tan gets more or less P100,000 cash from the payment of bettors daily.

One of the minors who were caught betting P3 during the raid said he regretted resorting to illegal gambling. He said he was trying his luck on the game to add to his school allowance.

Aparicio said she knew that what she was betting on was illegal, but claimed that she tried her luck because the prize was huge.

Tan refused to give any comment.

Santander said they will file cases for illegal gambling against those arrested.

In the past three days, CIB has confiscated a number of gambling machines such as video karera and moli-moli slot machines in line with their intensified campaign against illegal gambling, as per directive of Police Regional Office-7 director Marcelo Garbo Jr.  —(FREEMAN)