The National Bureau of Investigation arrested four persons and issued subpoenas against two barangay captains in connection with the illegal operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said Tuesday, February 21.
Baldovino said the person suspected to be the financier of the illegal STL operations is a former elected official, whom he did not name, pending further investigation.
The lone Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office authorized operator of STL in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City is Super Lucky Beagler Inc., Baldovino stressed. Others who collect STL bets are illegal, he said.
Issued subpoenas were Barangay 5 Captain Joel Alibango and Barangay 6 Captain Franz Seguiro of Kabankalan City who were named by two of those arrested as having been at a meeting where they gave their consent for the bet collections in their areas, Baldovino said.
Those arrested also told the NBI that they remitted their bet collections to a certain Ma’am and JR Basinilio who were also at the meeting, Baldovino said. The two will also be issued subpoenas, he added.
Those arrested by the NBI on February 15 were bet collectors Renante Brioso, Reda Ayala, Janet Fustor and bettor Glen Binigay who posted bail Tuesday, Baldovino said.
The NBI had received information that illegal STL bet collections were ongoing in barangays 5, 6 and 7 in Kabankalan City that led to their conducting entrapment operations, he said.*