A criminal complaint filed against three barangay captains, including Noli Villarosa of Tangub, Bacolod City, who was tagged as a financier of illegal Small Town Lottery (STL) operations in Kabankalan City, has been dismissed.
The Kabankalan City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation for lack of sufficient evidence, NBI special investigator William de Arca Jr. said Thursday, June 8.
Cleared along with Villarosa were Kabankalan City village chiefs Joel Alibango of Barangay 5 and Franz Leonard Siguero of Barangay 6 who were alleged to be “protectors” of illegal STL operations.
The NBI had filed a complaint for violation of Presidential Degree 1602 as amended by Republic Act 9287, for illegal gambling activities against the three in March.
The complaint against Villarosa was dismissed even before he could file his counter affidavit.
Villarosa, on Thursday, reiterated that he does not have the financial capacity to be an illegal gambling financier and said the complaint against him was politically motivated.*