Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region have arrested 19 suspects in a raid on a gambling den in Valenzuela City.
The raid stemmed from information provided by a confidential informant to Supervising Agent Edgardo E. Baldemos that the illegal numbers game jueteng has proliferated in different areas of Caloocan and ValenzuelaCity, NBI-NCR said in a statement.
Reports reaching the bureau said a certain "Oyie" is operating the illegal numbers game in the entire Caloocan area despite the ongoing campaign against jueteng of Mayor Oscar Malapitan.
The suspects were arrested during the entrapment operation on June 28 in Lopez II in Veinte Reales.
Arrested during the raid were Israel Tiamzon y Medina, Romeo dela Paz y Calleja, Jeffrey Arrisga y Sto. Domingo, Joseph Rigodon y Dela Torre, Wilma Sanchez y Pader, Marietta Licay y Dayrit, Cherry Neones y Bulalaque, Rolan Gomez y Fernandez, Daniel Ocbian y Pelin; Eddie Tiamzon y Santos, Jimmy de Leon y Defante, Angel Gonzales y Tindogan, Rolando Dael y Dizon, Julius Escalante y Lamsen, Jennifer De Zafra y De Jesus, Salvacion Gabieta y Dy, Zenaida Labado y Gabieta, Vicky Mendoza y Corvilas and Wilfredo Labado y Gabieta.
The agents confirmed the veracity of the information during the combined surveillance operations conducted by the team from Bagong Silang, composed of Supervising Agent Enrico Cavero, Jr., Agent III Norman Revita, and SI IV Raffy Arcangel Gonzaga.
The NBI group at Tala, Malaria, namely Head Agent Dante Pua, Supervising Agent Emelito O. Santos, Jr. and Agent Gary P. Ruiz; and from Valenzuela headed by Agent Elizaldo Beltran, Supervising Agent Mamerto B. Tello, Jr., Agent John Bacho, Agent Richard Sison, and Intelligence Officer Julius Baun were also part of the operation.
Surveillance showed the bettors enter the gambling den and place their bets for the daily draws held every 12 noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. NBI agent Mamerto Tello Jr., who posed as a poseur-bettor, was able to place his P90 bet to Jenniefer de Zafra using marked P50 and two P20 bills.
Appropriate charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 as amended by Republic Act 9287 sections 3c and 4 were filed against the suspects.