Cops collar 23 in anti-illegal gambling opns

By Paulo DS. Papa

NAGA CITY --- Police authorities in Camarines Sur and in this city have arrested 23 persons in anti-illegal gambling operations recently.

Eighteen of the 23 suspects face lawsuit for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602 or Prescribing Stiffer Penalties on Illegal Gambling that bans unauthorized gaming activities. These suspects were caught playing tong-its and cara y cruz.

Tong-its is a popular three-player rummy card game in the Philippines while cara y cruz, or ‘pull-out’ in Bicol, is the Filipino version of heads or tails, a street game that uses coins.

The five others are charged for violating the Presidential Decree No 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974 that prohibits the exploitation of cockfighting as an object of commercialism and business enterprise. The police operatives caught the suspects operating a tupada.

In a phone interview, Police Major Maria Victoria Abalaing, spokesperson of the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office, told Bicol Mail that they are pursuing a strong anti-illegal gambling operations as mandated by the Police Regional Office 5.

In Bula, Camarines Sur, police authorities arrested the following persons: Michael Bobis, 39; Mario Belga, 34 and Rochelle Buedo, 22, for playing tong-its. A set of playing cards and bet money amounting P135 was recovered from the suspects.

A similar operation was conducted in Barangay Pinada, Calabanga, Camarines Sur that led to the arrest of Erwin Canaleta, 38; Sonny Beralde, 43 and Agnes Elizalde-Calizo, 30, all residents of the said barangay, for similar offense. Confiscated from the suspects were 52 pieces of playing cards and P645 bet money.

The PNP provincial office have recorded several more arrests of persons involving in illegal gambling in all the 5 districts of Camarines Sur.