TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Eastern Visayas has arrested a president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) in a Southern Leyte town for his alleged involvement in an illegal numbers game.

NBI-8 regional director Antonio Pagatpat identified the suspect as Santiago Abuyog Jr., ABC president in Hinundayan town, Southern Leyte and chairman of Barangay (Village) Purok Tres in Hinundayan.

Abuyog was caught inside his residence located at Purok Tres, Hinundayan town proper, on Tuesday.

Pagatpat said the NBI also arrested Warlito Japson, 38, and Necito Gamoten, 45, said to be the "coordinators" of Abuyog in running his "swertres" operations.

The three were caught while in the process of preparing the tally sheets collected from the bettors, he said. The NBI team also confiscated from Abuyog P26,000 and other paraphernalia.

The 48-year-old Abuyog, an ex-officio member of the town council as president of the ABC, did not resist arrest. The arrest was made by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Hermes Montero, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 26 based in San Juan town, Southern Leyte.

"He's been operating for the past three years now," Pagatpat said.

He said Abuyog operated in the nearby towns of Hinunangan, Silago, San Juan, Saint Bernard and Anahawan and his gambling network was earning as much as P300,000 a day.

Pagatpat said the NBI filed charges of violation of PD 1602 or illegal gambling against Abuyog.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to reach Abuyog through his cellular phone but the phone could not be contacted. Abuyog posted bail of P140,000 on Wednesday for his temporary liberty.