THIRTY-seven persons were arrested on Monday by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) for operating an illegal numbers game based on the Philippine Charity’s Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Swertres game in separate raids in Lapu-Lapu City.
NBI-7 Special Investigator Arnel Pura said the suspects were part of GlobalTech, a company which operates “Peryahan ng Bayan” whose authority to operate Swertres games was earlier terminated by the PCSO.
“In effect, the operation of GlobalTech is unauthorized and illegal,” he said.
GlobalTech earlier requested a trial court in Pasig City, Manila to allow them to resume their operations.
The request, however, was denied.
Upon the request of the NBI, Judge Christine Muga-Abad of the Regional Trial Court Branch 53 in Lapu-Lapu City issued a search warrant and allowed the NBI to conduct an operation against GlobalTech.
Pura said they served the search warrant last March 16 to 17.
He said they need to intensify their campaign against illegal gambling as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We need to intensify our campaign against illegal gambling in the same manner that we want to eradicate illegal drugs,” Pura said.
He appealed to the public to report to authorities any illegal gambling operations.
The suspects are detained at the NBI-7 office pending the filing of charges against them for alleged illegal gambling.