BACOLOD City – Eleven individuals detained due to their alleged involvement in the illegal operation of the Peryahan ng Bayan draw court in Escalante City, Negros Occidental were released yesterday.
They posted bail worth P20,000 each, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
They were Peryahan workers Mary May Britan, Elena Jose, Emalyn Guardania, Sheila Mae Castilla, Joerevin Villarante, Carlos Dela Cruz, Chingrig Padatogdog, Edmund Bosico, Roy Agabon, Juvy Bonda, and Vicente Gomez.
The NBI arrested them and nine other employees of the Peryahan center in Bacolod earlier this week.
On Tuesday, the NBI filed charges against them at Escalante and Bacolod cities’ respective Prosecutor’s Offices.
NBI-Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said they simultaneously raided the Peryahan centers on May 7 on the strength of a search warrant that Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City issued on May 3.
In Bacolod, among those arrested were Peryahan provincial manager Lito Estember and workers Gezelle Tanique, Donna Mellama, Rodelyn Mellama, Joffrey Mellama Jr., Arjoeron Elisan, Mark John Camarines, John Ray Suede, and Ofelenio Tomaquin.
They were still under NBI’s custody as of this writing.
Panay News tried to reach their legal counsel for comment but to no avail.
Global Tech Mobile Online Corp. operates all Peryahan centers in the country.
According to the NBI, the draw court violated Republic Act 9287, or an act that amended Presidential Decree 1602 by increasing the penalties for the illegal numbers games.
This was after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) terminated Global Tech’s deed of authority to operate, making the Peryahan operations “unauthorized and illegal.”/PN
