BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Barangay Tangub captain Noli Villarosa challenged officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) here to resign if the illegal gambling charges against him were proven false.
Villarosa denied any involvement in the illegal small town lottery (STL) operations in Kabankalan City.
Villarosa, along with Kabankalan City Barangay 5 captain Joel Alibango and Barangay 6 captain Francz Leonard Seguiro, were charged with Republic Act 9287, which increased penalties for illegal numbers games, amending certain provisions of Presidential Decree 1602.
Villarosa was allegedly a gambling financier.
“Kung mapamatud-an bi karon nga wala ko engagement [in the illegal numbers game] ano ang ila liabilities sa akon?” he said.
He added he is ready to resign if the NBI could prove the accusations.
Villarosa also called on Bacolod City mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, and Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to open a forum and invite law enforcement agencies to identify individuals involved in the illegal numbers game.
He also claimed that STL is just a “big syndicate” and Bacolod City has no Resolution of No Objection (RONO) for its operations.
NBI-Bacolod chief Atty. Renoir Baldovino said on Tuesday they filed charges against Villarosa along with the two barangay captains at the Kabankalan City Prosecutor’s Office.
Also included in the charges was a female only identified by her alias “Mam.”
On Feb. 15, NBI-Bacolod carried out an entrapment operation in Kabankalan City. Three bet collectors and a bettor were arrested in barangays 5, 6 and 7.
Baldovino said they have enough documentary and testimonial evidence against Villarosa./PN
