CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – It’s yet another police raid of a gambling den. This time, it’s “pasapot” which involves spiders kept in matchboxes.
Those arrested were not playful children, but six adults whose age ranged from 29 to 68. Gerona, Tarlac police chief Supt. Ariel Rebancos Red said the suspects were arrested after a police raid last Sunday revealed they were engaged in a “spider derby” in a house in Barangay Apsayan in Gerona.
“Perhaps it is only in the Philippines where harmless spiders are betted on to kill each other in such derby,” Red said.
“I thought spider fighting was only a game played by children. But now spiders are for real adults engaged in real gambling,” Red added. In his report to Tarlac police director Senior Supt. Alex Sintin, Red identified those arrested as Leonardo Ubaldo, 65, from Sto. Domingo town, Nueva Ecija; Rogelio Lactaoen, 68, from Maasin, Pura, Tarlac; Christopher Ramos, 32, from Apsayan, Wilson Gragasin, 33, from Poblacion 3, Jay-Ar Ventura, 29, and Alfredo Manuel, 29, both of Barangay Danzo, all in Gerona.
“Para pa lang guerilla ang pagpapatakbo ng ‘pasapot’, araw-araw nililipat sa ibatibang barangay kaya hindi namin kaagad na-monitor,” said Red who is on his fourth month as police chief of Gerona. The raiding team was composed of PO2 Ronald Ramos, Gerona police Intel Unit head, PO2 Johannes Niegos, PO2 Mike Lester Bustillos, PO3 Domingo Pascua, PO2 Vic Perez, PO2 Joseph Nunag and Gerona police intelligence chief Inspector Joel Natalicio Gamboa.
Apsayan Barangay Chairman Nestor Austria denied knowing “pasapot” operations in his barangay. “Ngayon lang nagkaroon ng ganyang pasugal dito sa aming barangay”, Austria said. Red said the six arrested persons were charged with illegal gambling or violation of Republic Act 9287.
“Seryoso ang kapulisan ng Gerona, huhulihin naming lahat ang mga pasugalan dito”, said Red who had also ordered a halt to illegal gambling operations, including popular sakla and monte operations in his town.
