Bacolod City – The police have accounted for 74 Small Town Lottery illegal bet collectors in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, as they further intensified their campaign against the proliferation of “bookies,” or illegal betting outlets using STL as a front, as of November 24.
Bookies use the same numbers drawn by STL. Illegal bet collectors, referred to as “riders,” oftentimes use ID cards of STL employees and collect bets that are not remitted to the government.
The suspects who were arrested recently in Bacolod City, were identified as Riclos Llesos, Orly Tolentino, and Ronmark del Rosario, while Mengie Abellar, Raylin Dayrit, Teresita Juanga, Ryan Loquinario, Almer Casimeros, and Eugene Ejosa were apprehended by the police in the cities of Victorias, Himamaylan, Sagay, Escalante, as well as the towns of Calatrava and E.B. Magalona, 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 legitimate operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
RA 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.
Collectors or agents may be imprisoned for 8 years and day to 10 years, while personnel or staff of illegal numbers game operations face imprisonment for 6 years and up to 8 years, and collectors or agents may be imprisoned for 8 years and day to 10 years.
Police investigations indicated that financiers of illegal gambling are paying the recommended bail set by the court for the arrested bet solicitors, who upon being released, then resume their illegal activities. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds)