8 nabbed for operating STL using name of licensed Pangasinan operator

Dagupan City in Pangasinan (Wikipedia maps)

DAGUPAN CITY — Police have arrested eight people, who allegedly operated small town lottery (STL) in Pangasinan province using the name of a company licensed to operate STL here.

The arrest stemmed from a complaint of Arthur Jose Ang, 35, owner of Golden Go Rapid Gaming Corp. — the STL firm authorized by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) — that another group had been using his company’s name without his consent.

Police raided on Tuesday (May 9) the office of Ronaldo Biluan (39 years old), Dennis Bulahan (25), Romeo Cornejo (62), Rodel Cornejo (39), Rey Maligaya (25) and Noriel Macasaet (50) all from Candelaria town in Quezon province; Rey Ablian, 39, of Lipa City in Batangas province; and Lorenzo Merana, 38, of Sariaya town in Quezon.

Senior Supt. Ronald Oliver Lee, Pangasinan police director, said the group’s office in Barangay (village) Poblacion Oeste here was affixed with tarpaulin bearing the phrase, “Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office STL Golden Go Rapid Gaming Corporation Authorized Agent Corporation for the province of Pangasinan Bet Collection Station.”

In a radio interview on Wednesday (May 10), one of those arrested claimed they were recruited by Anthony Ang-angco to work in Dagupan City.

Police said those arrested would face charges for violating Article 189 of the Revised Penal Code, which has prohibited any person from selling “his goods [by] giving them the general appearance of goods of another manufacturer or dealer . . .”

Since 2016, PCSO has been expanding its STL operations in a bid to stop other illegal numbers games, like jueteng, and generate more revenue to fund various health and charitable programs in the country, according to its website.

PCSO said that from 18 firms that it had authorized to operate STL in 2016, it would add 38 more firms in 2017.  SFM