MANILA, Philippines — Nineteen people were arrested for illegal gambling during a raid on Wednesday at a billiard hall in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, where Filipino pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes was a guest player.
Police swooped down on the billiard hall in Barangay San Pablo at around 9:20 p.m., according to a report.
Reyes said he was only invited to play and was unaware that there were illegal bets.
He was invited to the police station and later released with no charges filed against him.
In March last year, Reyes participated in a pool game in San Pedro, Laguna, which was raided for violation of COVID protocols.
Reyes said he would be cautious in accepting invitations to avoid getting embroiled in another controversy.