By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A city prosecutor’s office dismissed illegal gambling charges filed against three village chiefs in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City.
Atty. Renoir Baldovino, agent-in-charge of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod, confirmed yesterday morning that the Kabankalan Prosecutor’s Office cleared Noli Villarosa of Barangay Tangub; and Joel Alibango Francz and Leonard Seguiro of Kabankalan’s barangays 5 and 6, respectively, of illegal gambling charges.
The charges were in violation of Presidential Decree 1602, as amended by Republic Act 9287, which penalizes individuals involved in illegal numbers games, filed against them last March.
“As far as we are concerned, the information is correct that the case we filed against the barangay captains has been dismissed,” Baldovino said.
According to NBI special investigator William de Arca, the complaints, in relation to the illegal Small Town Lottery (STL) operation in Kabankalan, were dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence and probable cause.
“The fiscal’s office resolved to dismiss the case that we filed against the barangay captains. We received a copy of the decision last week,” De Arca said.
Baldovino said their investigation revealed that Villarosa is allegedly the “financier,” while Alibango and Siguero are the “protectors.”
The NBI’s legal team are now consulting about whether there is a possibility of refiling of charges.
Meanwhile, Villarosa said the dismissal of the case was made last month.
He wasn’t able to file a counter-affidavit against the complaint.
His lawyer also filed for an extension to submit his counter-affidavit, but the charges were already dismissed.
Earlier, Villarosa denied the allegations of his involvement in the illegal STL operations in Kabankalan.
“I don’t have the capacity for that. It involves millions,” Villarosa said.
He said he is ready to resign from his post if the NBI is able to prove that he was really into illegal operations.
The village chief added that the charges filed against him are politically-motivated./With reports from PNA / DGB, WDJ