Small Town Lottery operator cries foul over Lucena 'bookies'

LUCENA CITY , Philippines  – A legitimate Small Town Lottery operator in Quezon province under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is set to file charges against some prominent people who are behind the “bookies operation” in Pagbilao, Quezon.

A representative of the Pirouette Corp. who refused to be named said they are now preparing to file charges against bookies operators to stop the guerilla operation of STL in the said town.

He said that the police last week collared two persons, which resulted to the seizure of undetermined amount of bet collection and bookies paraphernalia. The suspects were arrested while on their way home from their safehouse, allegedly owned by a former mayor, located at the back of the municipal hall.

The former mayor, a three-term former mayor is the husband of the mayor.

However, the representative lamented that the arrested suspects were released by the apprehending police operatives due to alleged “strong pressure” from the former mayor.

This reporter tried several times to contact the former mayor and the town police chief to get their side but they could not be reached.

In an interview with The STAR, the representative said their company is loosing around P200,000 daily because of the guerilla operation of STL in the town.

“This is not supposed to happen since we have the local police and other law enforcement agencies in the province. At first, we were so grateful that they were able to arrest those bookies operators, but later on, we learned that they freed them”, he said.

He said their daily collection in Pagbilao reaches to P400,000 or more daily, five percent of which (P20,000) is turned over to the office of the mayor. – Michelle Zoleta