PNP tags trader "ending," "loteng" financier

The team led by Supt. Rande V. Rosero found this out for themselves when they raided alleged PBA "ending" solicitors in barangays Sta. Elena and Rawis.

Last Nov. 17 at 6:30 P.M., Col. Rosero, accompanied by SPO4 Romeo Vargas, SPO3 Deomedes Taopo, SPO1 Manuel Joson and PO2 Lino Obias arrested in Sta. Elena one Mario Olino y Briqueno, 38, a resident of the barangay, and confiscated from him two "ending" cards, receipts and P150 in bets.

Another team sorrounded a funeral wake in Rawis and apprehended Corazon Sarmiento, Eden Sarmiento, Salvador Isidoro and Elena Cenon while "consolidating" bets at the house of Cenon. The team seized three "ending" cards and cash amounting to P2,312 to be remitted to Olino, the alleged "cabo."

The report claimed that the bets were to be remitted to the Virac Penafrancia Hardware near the public market in barangay Concepcion. The store is owned and operated by businessman Natalio Popa, Jr., the alleged "ending" and "loteng" financier.

Reliable sources say that Popa, who allegedly paid P150,000 to Erap crony Atong Ang for cancelled Bingo 2-Balls franchise, substituted the "first-two" numbers game, in which the winning numbers are taken from the first two numbers drawn, except 43-49, during draws for the 6/42, 6/45 and 6/49 lotto schemes.

Each P10 bets reportedly earns the bettor P3,500, with bigger bets in the thousands sent to a "regional office" which accepts and pays for the extra winnings if it matches the drawn lotto numbers. The illegal numbers game has proliferated in the last two months, even affecting solicitations of PBA "ending" operators.