6 alleged ‘bookies’ bet collectors fall in Quezon

LUCENA CITY — At least six suspected bet collectors for the illegal operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) called “bookies” were arrested in a police operation in Sariaya town in Quezon province on Tuesday night.

Anti-illegal gambling operatives collared Lito Matibag, Donald Bukid, Nilo Magpantay, Gary Estoya, Juanito Dimaculangan, and Eduardo Sumadsad while collecting and accounting money bets in Barangay Bantilan around 11:30 p.m., Colonel Audie Madrideo, Quezon police director, said in a report.

Seized from the suspects, who are all residents of Sariaya, were STL bet collection forms, paraphernalia, calculators and money bets of different denominations.

Police said the suspects failed to produce legitimate identification cards issued by Pirouette Gaming Corp., the licensed STL operator in the province, which showed they were engaged in the illegal operation of the state-sanctioned lottery.

The suspects were detained at the city police jail and will face charges of violation of the amended law on illegal gambling.

The bookies no longer conduct draws but are just adopting the winning combination from draws of the legal STL held three times a day in the Pirouette office in downtown Lucena City.

The winning combination is adopted in all legal betting stations province-wide. /lzb