Cebu City: Fighting spiders send 42 gamblers to Parian jail

This is the improvised fighting spider arena on a table, the boxes containing spiders and the P2,700 cash used as bet money are confiscated as evidence against the 42 men caught for illegal gambling. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Forty-two individuals will be spending some time in jail after they were caught illegally gambling inside a house, betting on spiders fighting on a stick, at past midnight today, September 24, in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City.

“Nashock man sila pagingon sa mananakog (nga) ‘surprise’. Mao (nga) wala nanagan,” said the investigating officer of the Parian Police Station.

(They were shocked after the arresting oficers told them ‘surprise’. So no one really had the time to run and escape.)

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Those arrested included several jobless men, a delivery boy, a meat vendor, a water vendor and a utility worker.

Their ages also ranged from 18 to 46 years old and most of them were residents of the barangay.

The 42, men who were arrested after they were caught engaging in illegal gambling by betting on fighting spiders in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City, are being processed by the Parian Police Station at the station’s receiving area this morning. | Paul Lauro

Police confiscated from those arrested an improvised spider fighting arena made up of a stick with a wooden stand nailed on each side of the table, four improvised small boxes containing 32 spiders and P2,470 in different denominations and which was believed to be betting money.

According to policemen at the Parian Police Station, that they received a call from an individual  in the 911 hotline number informing them of the ruckus in one of the houses in Barangay Lorega and it was bothering people in the area.

The call was made at past 12 midnight of September 24.

When police responded, they found out that the ones making the ruckus in the area were people gambling on fighting spiders inside a house in the area.

“Mao rag nagpiyesta ang police station,” said investigating officer as they processed those arrested at the receiving area of the police station.

(It was like there was a feast in the police station.)

They would be charged with illegal gambling or for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 (PD 1602) or for illegal gambling.