Man nabbed for selling fake STL booklets in Cebu City

The fake STL bet booklets that authorities seized from a man in Cebu City during an entrapment operation.

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – A 50-year-old man who allegedly falsified and sold fake STL bet booklets was arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation Cebu District Office (NBICEBDO) in an entrapment operation on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

The man was identified as Isdelito Libradilla Baring, a resident of Jakosalem St. Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City.

A total of 240 fake  Small Town Lottery bet stubs were seized from Libradilla inside his house including the 100 stubs that were the subject of the entrapment operation.

READ: Small Town Lottery divides House

NBICEBDO Agent-in-charge Arnel Pura said that Baring is the alleged source of the fake STLs in some of illegal STLs in Cebu Province excluding the tricities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu City. He had been selling fake STL booklets for five years now, Pura said.

The entrapment operation was conducted through the request of King Dragon Gaming and Amusement Corporation, an authorized Agent Corporation, authorized by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to operate STL in Cebu province.

King Dragon’s Operations Manager Christian Carlos, said that they tapped the NBI after they experienced a decrease in sales since October last year.

READ: PCSO chair blames Arroyo admin for STL anomalies

Carlos said that they lost P3 million a day, or around P90 million per month because of illegal STL.

King Dragon as an authorized agent, is required to remit P65 million to PCSO monthly.

The case was already filed against Baring on Thursday, Feb. 28. He was charged for falsification of public documents in violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

Baring in his defense denied the allegations saying that the fake STL booklets were only left in their house by people he know before these were being sold. He was only given a small amount of money.

READ: 38 collectors of illegal gambling booths in Cebu face charges

Baring added that he also thought that thee bet stubs were legal.

Authorities encouraged bettors to be mindful of the legitimacy of the STL or agents because they may not be paid if they win. Pura said that legit bet stubs have serial numbers, agents also have PCSO IDs.