• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The police arrested 74 illegal bet collectors of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental as they further intensified the campaign against the proliferation of “bookies” or illegal betting outlets using STL as front.
“Bookies” use the same numbers drawn by STL, and illegal bet collectors, referred to as “riders,” often times use the identification cards for STL employees and collect bets that are not remitted to the government.
As of Nov. 24, those arrested in Bacolod City were identified as Riclos Llesos, Orly Tolentino and Ronmark del Rosario.
Mengie Abellar, Raylin Dayrit, Teresita Juanga, Ryan Loquinario, Almer Casimeros and Eugene Ejosa were apprehended in the cities of Victorias, Himamaylan, Sagay, and Escalante as well as in the municipalities of Calatrava and E.B. Magalona, respectively, according to reports of the Bacolod City Police Office and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
Bookies is an unauthorized form of STL which poses a direct challenge to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s legitimate operations.
Republic Act 9287, which increases penalties for illegal numbers games in the country, aims to eradicate these activities and punish those involved, including bettors, personnel, and government officials, while also protecting witnesses and incentives for law enforcement officers. | GB
