LINGAYEN—Another gambling activity has taken roots in the province. After jueteng came drop-ball, both illegal and now jai-alai. The difference is jai-alai has taken a legitimate front.

Joint elements of the police who conducted a raid on suspected jueteng joint in Bugallon were surprised last week to find jai-alai betting operations instead of the usual jueteng paraphernalia.

The jai-alai operations employ “collectors” who sell two-ticket combinations which led the law enforcement agencies to suspect that jueteng was being operated in the town.

At the raid in Poblacion, Bugallon in the afternoon of March 28, the jai-alai fronton table manager identified as Randy Sagun presented pertinent documents and business permits indicating the supposed legitimacy of their operations.

Based on the documents, the fronton is owned by the Meriedien Vista Gaming Corporation.

Meriedien is reportedly managed by Atong Ang, the former gambling partner of former President Estrda.

The police team that conducted the raid included elements of the Bugallon Police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group based in Dagupan City, Provincial Intelligence Branch and the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division.

Among the documents presented by Sagun, a native of Lupao, Nueva Ecija, were a Barangay Clearance permit, application for a municipal tax and registration under the provision of the Revenue Code of Bugallon issued by the municipal treasurer, a resolution from a Regional Trial Court branch in Aparri, Cagayan, and a letter from the Department of Justice Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.

Sagun also presented a Court of Appeals (11th Division) resolution dated 09 December 2010 and a certificate of filing amended articles of incorporation from the Securities and Exchange Corporation.

However, the raiding team noticed that the Bugallon jai-alai fronton, unlike the one in Taft Avenue in Manila, does not feature pelotaris playing the actual game.

CALASIAO

Later on the same day, a joint raided by the same police elements with members of the Calasiao police in Poblacion, Calasiao turned out to be an on-line jai-alai betting station.

The table manger, Joel Trivino, was also able to present a business permit granted to Meredien Vista Gaming Corporation issued by Mayor Roy Macanlalay.

The raiding team was given a copy of an injunction order in connection with a civil case signed by Judge Conrado Manauls of Branch 8 in Aparri, Cagayan with the Games and Amusement Board as defendant ordering a status quo and restraining the police from stopping the operations of the gaming stations.

Given the documents presented, the police are now assessing their possible options on how to deal with the suspected illegal gaming operations.

The police doubt that the betting stations are connected on-line with the real jai-alai games at the fronton in Manila as the winning numbers are supposedly determined by a video game version of jai-alai.

The jai-alai joints reportedly maintain collectors who take bets on a pair of numbers from the public.–LM

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