By the Bohol Chronicle
Amid public criticism for its failure to catch the “big fish†in the intensified campaign against the illegal numbers game swertres, regional police operatives arrested Friday a city barangay captain identified as a “big time†financier operating all over the province.
A joint team from the intelligence branch of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) and the Bohol PNP seized cash amounting P586,715 and various paraphernalia used in the illegal swertres.
Arrested inside his residence was Barangay Captain Manolo Blanco, alias Taran, 50, of barangay Mansasa, this city.
A certain, Arnel Pablo, 32, of Matig-a Street this city was also nabbed at Blanco's residence. He is one of the coordinators who had in his possession swertres tip sheets and tally sheets.
Blanco is said to be the biggest financier of the illegal numbers game in the province operating through networks in several towns with well structured coordinators particularly operating in the city.
He has been spared from recent arrests as police records showed that those "small fries" arrested are coming from the towns.
Past 7 in the morning Friday, elements of the PNP Regional Intelligence Division (RID-7) led by S/Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe and selected operatives of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) led by S/Supt. Edgardo Ingking conducted the raid at the residence of Blanco in barangay Mansasa which is said to be one of the major headquarters of the illegal swertres operations.
By virtue of a search warrant issued by Cebu City Regional Trial Court Judge Sylvia Aguirre Paderanga, the raiding team cornered Blanco confiscating the cash in different denominations believed to be proceeds from bets and the gambling paraphernalia.
In an interview with the Chronicle, SSupt. Buenafe bared they have been sending surveillance teams here since they received reports on Blanco’s illegal gambling operations.
“After our agents verified and found the reports positive, hence, we planned out the raid,†Buenafe said.
According to Buenafe, informants told them that Blanco have been operating for several years now not only in his barangay but almost covering the entire province of Bohol.
Earlier that day, two members of the raiding team intercepted one Arnel Pablo, who confessed to be an “usher†for Blanco, along V.P. Inting Street, this city.
Pablo was on his way to the residence of Blanco when the police operatives cornered him. Seized from his possession were cash believed to be proceeds from bets and a swertres tip sheet.
The raid is considered to be the biggest success so far for PRO-7 after Regional Director C/Supt.
Federico Terte ordered a region-wide crackdown against swertres.
Terte has warned provincial commanders and station chiefs that he will not settle for mere reporting but wants to see concrete results that would lead to the arrest of swertres financiers and coordinators not just “runners and ushersâ€.
In fact, the regional commander has adopted the “one strike policy†and threatening to relieve provincial directors and station commanders if they fail to eradicate the illegal numbers game in their areas of responsibility.
Blanco and the seized items that included betting sheets, tip sheets and tally sheets were immediately brought to Cebu City since the warrant issued originated from the Cebu City RTC.
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