Gambling men storm village hall in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Normally, police seize video carrera machines as part of their anti-illegal gambling drive. But in Talisay City, it’s the other way around. Carrera operators were so daring that they barged Monday night into the Lagtang barangay (village) hall and cannibalized three confiscated coin-operated machines. Tanods (village peacekeepers) seized the three video carrera units from houses in Sitios Burlas, Lukap and Lagtang Proper, amid persistent complaints of residents about the proliferation of these illegal gambling machines. The house owners were identified as spouses Nomie and Magnolia Lazarte of Lagtang Proper; Erwin and Jocelyn Abellana of Sitio Lukap; and Marcela Cabusas of Sitio Burlas. Lagtang Barangay Captain Celiapo Cabuenas said the suspects ran off with coins and two central processing units (CPUs), the machine’s vital component. He vowed to lodge formal charges against the carrera operators, lambasting them for their utter disrespect for barangay authorities. “I strongly condemn their act of disrespect," a visibly-irked Cabuenas said in an interview. He said he already consulted City Hall Legal Officer Owen Algoso for the filing of formal charges against the perpetrators. Barangay Secretary Renato Cabradilla identified those responsible for cannibalizing the three carrera machines as Macario Cabuenas, Menchulyn Dagode, and spouses Faustino Jr. and Desiree Rabadon. He could not confirm, though, if Dagode’s live-in partner Glenn Abatayo was around during the incident. The operators, he said, broke into the barangay hall by clambering up an open window, using a rattan ladder, while the hall’s caretaker Romeo Pineda was asleep. Cabradilla said the operators took the chance of barging into the two-story building as the five tanods-on-duty were responding to a trouble alarm nearby. The suspects had reportedly been hanging out outside the barangay hall after learning of the seizure of three video carrera units. In the act Cabradilla said that tanod Julius Econas reported to the barangay hall as he suspected that the operators would do something to retrieve the confiscated machines. “Indeed, Julius caught them in the act of cannibalizing the machines and taking the coins away," he said. Econas reportedly failed to arrest them because the operators sped off aboard their motorcycles. In an interview, Dagode told Sun.Star Superbalita that they did not break into the barangay hall because caretaker Pineda allowed them to enter the building. The carreras were kept at the second floor just adjacent to the barangay session hall. Dagode added that he merely accompanied Desiree and that her husband was not also around that night. Dagode and Abatayo are reportedly still employed as job order employees at City Hall. “We will wait for the report from the police and find out the extent of their involvement on video carrera operations," said City Administrator Richel Bacaltos in a separate interview. Cabuenas said they will investigate Pineda because the latter also strongly denied he allowed the operators to get into the building. - Sun.Star Cebu