87 Chinese, 16 Pinoys sued for online gambling

MANILA, Philippines — Charges of illegal gambling were filed on Saturday against 87 Chinese and 16 Filipinos who were arrested during a raid on an online gaming office in Pasig City.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said the suspects were charged with violation of Republic Act 10175 before Assistant City prosecutor Rommel Pereyra.

Eleazar said the Anti-Cyber Crime Group (ACG) of the Phillippine National Police confirmed that the Chinese suspects were involved in online betting.

“Our men were accompanied by the ACG operatives during the raid. An examination of the computers showed they were engaged in online gambling. So we have a strong case against the Chinese,” he said.

The suspects were nabbed after police swooped down on the Finasia Tech Inc. located along Doña Julia Vargas Avenue in Barangay Ugong on Friday.

The raiders headed by Superintendent Rogath Campo, chief of the NCRPO Regional Special Operations Unit, confiscated desktop computers, laptops, smart phones, Ipads, tablets, cameras and other gaming paraphernalia.

The raid was conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Encarnacion Moya of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 146.

Eleazar said they were coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration as more than 60 of the Chinese suspects were holding tourist visas.

He said he received text messages from residents of posh villages in Metro Manila about the presence of Chinese believed to be involved in online illegal gambling.

The suspects are being held by police at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.