33 arrested in Taguig jueteng raids

MANILA, Philippines - The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) rounded up 33 people and confiscated money and gambling paraphernalia during a raid over the weekend at two jueteng joints in Taguig City.

The twin raids was part of a campaign against jueteng, an illegal numbers game, waged by NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales, who warned there would be no letup in his drive against illegal gambling.

Rosales claimed his men are still trying to find out the financier of the jueteng operations in Taguig City.

The NCRPO chief directed Superintendent Leo Francisco, head of the NCRPO’s regional police intelligence and operation unit (RPIOU) to hunt down a certain Laurel who is believed to be a policeman, and a Phillip Mendoza and Tunying, who are the jueteng dens’ alleged managers.

“We would know more about the illegal gambling operations once the trio are under our custody,” Rosales told Francisco.

An NCRPO team headed by Chief Inspector Ismael Yu of the RPIOU conducted simultaneous raids at the Signal Market in Barangay Signal and in Lower Bicutan at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

According to Yu, those arrested include Alma Santos and Alexander Gloriani, the over-all cabos (bet collectors) of the jueteng operations.

Yu said they recovered an undetermined amount of cash bets and jueteng paraphernalia from the suspects.

When asked who their financiers are, Francisco said those arrested pointed to Laurel, Phillip Mendoza and Tunying as the ones who gave them the go signal to get involved in the said jueteng operations.

The Star learned from police sources that a certain Bonito was behind the said jueteng operations but Rosales, Francisco and Yu did not confirm or deny the report.

Those arrested are being detained at the RPIOU detention cell in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. Rosales ordered the filing of illegal gambling charges against them before the Taguig City prosecutor’s office.    – Non Alquitran