NBI chief denies Atong Ang’s harassment claims

Charlie “Atong” Ang

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante A. Gierran on Tuesday denied the accusation of gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang that the bureau is behind the harassment and threats against him.

”The NBI is a professional organization that adheres to high moral and ethical standards and its Officials and Agents will not be involved in highly unethical and illegal activities as alleged by Ang,” Gierran said in a statement.

Gierran said the alleged death threats are baseless.

He said Ang may have made the allegations due to the series of operations conducted by the NBI in Isabela Province.

On March 29, 2017, the NBI received a letter from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) seeking the assistance of the NBI in stopping illegal gambling, including jai alai and such other forms of numbers racket using or based on jai alai results in the province of Isabela.

The letter also stated that the PCSO has gathered information and received reports that illegal gambling activities are freely operating in the said province.

Under the law, the PCSO is the only authorized agency to hold and conduct lotteries and similar games in the country and the Small Town Lottery (STL) is the only legal and authorized numbers game nationwide.

Promptly acting on the request, the NBI-Cagayan Valley Regional Office (NBI-CAVRO) conducted an operation on April 19, 2017 in Ilagan, Isabela resulting in the arrest of 40 individuals and gambling paraphernalia of Meredian Gaming Corporation.

The NBI has been ordered to conduct an investigation of Ang’s allegation that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. supposedly want him dead./rga