LUCENA CITY – At least nine suspected bet collectors for an illegal operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) called “bookies” were arrested in police operations in Lucena City, police said Saturday.
Supt. Arturo Brual Jr., Lucena police chief, said anti-illegal gambling operatives caught Ariel Suarez, 23, Andro Suarez, 29, and Ruel Niño Suarez, 25, all relatives, while collecting STL bets in Barangay (village) Ibabang Iyam on Friday around 12:15 p.m. Seized from the suspects were STL bet collection forms and money bets.
On Feb. 22, the same police team also caught Ernesto Marciano, 62 and his sons Joel, 38, and Dante, 42, Shiela Marciano, 24, Mark Antony Fujimori, 27, and Edward Santos, 41, while in the act of sorting STL
collection forms and counting bet money inside the house of Ernesto.
Confiscated during the operation were illegal gambling paraphernalia.
Brual said all arrested suspects failed to produce legitimate identification cards issued by Pirouette Gaming Corp., the licensed STL operator in the province, which showed they are engaged in illegal
operation of state-sanctioned lottery.
The suspects will be facing charges of violation of Republic Act 9287, the amended law on illegal gambling. CDG
RELATED STORIES