Probable cause found against jueteng personnel

The provincial prosecutor of Batangas City, after thorough investigation, found probable cause against 20 jueteng personnel who were earlier arrested by the Batangas National Bureau of Investigation

(NBI-Batangas) for their involvement in illegal gambling operations in the province.

In a four-page inquest resolution signed by Prosecutor II Maria Kristina A. Rivera-Torrecampo, assistant provincial prosecutor and approved by Deputy Prosecutor Maria Isabel A. Tibayan-Mella-officer incharge, dated 12 April, it recommended the filing of information against those arrested.

Bail recommended for each of those inquested was P48,000.

“Finding the warrantless arrest of herein respondents valid, coupled with the evidence at hand, undersigned finds probable cause for Violation of Section 2(f) in relation to Sections 3(b) and 4 of Republic Act 9287,” the resolution read.

Those inquested were arrested by agents of the NBI following a raid on 11 April 2024, around 10:45 a.m. in Barangay Poblacion, Lobo, Batangas, wherein respondents were in a building where an illegal numbers game called jueteng is being operated.

The NBI-Batangas operatives alleged that respondents were “tagapagsulong” or personnel.

Found in the area were various gambling paraphernalia such as STL Collection Report Forms (lastillas) and cash.

The respondents were apprised of their rights under the law but opted not to waive the provisions of Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code. The respondents are detained at the NBI Regional Office, Barangay Marawoy, Lipa City.

The resolution stated that although the allegations classified respondents either as cabo, cobrador/collector, and tagapagsulong, it finds them as personnel and staff of illegal numbers game called jueteng.

It further stated that Section 2(f) of RA 9287 defines a personnel or staff as any person who acts in the interest of the maintainer, manager or operator, such as but not limited to, an accountant, cashier, checker, guard, runner, table manager, usher, watcher or any personnel performing similar functions in a building, structure, vessel or any other place where an illegal numbers game is operated.

Section 3(b) of the law penalizes with imprisonment of six years and one day to eight years if the person acts as a personnel or staff of an illegal numbers game operation.