CATARMAN, N. Samar– A barangay chairman and three others were arrested by police operatives for alleged illegal gambling.
Raymundo Esparto, 77, village chairman of Bangkerohan in this town, was arrested along with three other persons while in the act of playing mahjong inside the house of his brother, Romeo Esparto, when the police raided the latter’s house around 3:30pm on Good Friday(April 7).
Romeo, 71, a barangay tanod, was also arrested along with Juana Deniega, 68, barangay health worker, and Rose Ann Gallego, a saleslady.
According to the police, the group attempted to flee upon seeing the approaching police.
“The house was jampacked with people but only (the four) arrested were caught gambling. The others who ran away were just sitting and onlookers,” town police chief, Colonel Michael Jude Dotingco, who led the raiding team, told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
The police recovered from the scene the P182 bet money, two pieces of dice, a mahjong table mat, and one set of playing mahjong tiles.
Esparto and the three other suspects were put in jail and were charged with violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602 for illegal gambling.
(RACHEL ARNAIZ)
