Police release Manila vice mayor, 5 councilors

MANILA -- Manila Vice Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso and five city councilors were released from jail on Sunday after a prosecutor dismissed the illegal gambling charges police filed for lack of evidence.

The vice mayor and the five councilors were detained at the Manila Police District (MPD) since Saturday for their involvement in the alleged "illegal" gambling of bingo.

Moreno, in his twitter post, said: "Finally we were released by fiscal cerezo for insufficiency of evidence! Thank sa lahat ng dasal nyo at suporta ,patunay na walang mali smin."

Moreno and five other city councilors -- Ernesto Isip Jr., Bernardito Ang, Joel Chua, John Marvin Nieto, and Ma. Asuncion Fugos were arrested and detained on Saturday afternoon at the MPD station for alleged involvement in an illegal gambling activity (bingo game) in Tambunting, Sta. Cruz.

MPD Station 3 Chief Ricardo Layug interviewed over ANC on Sunday said Moreno and the city councilors committed violations on illegal gambling, obstruction and resisting arrest.

Layug added that they will do preliminary investigation instead of inquest proceedings.

Earlier, Moreno explained that bingo is not considered gambling since no bet is involved.

He added that they have been hosting bingo games around Manila City for five years now, adding that they are now prohibited to host the game after they transferred to another political party.

"Yung PD 1602 may tatlong requisites...yong una, kailangan game of chance. O yan, bingo, game of chance yan. Kailangan may papremyo, o yan may papremyo. Pero kailangan may taya, eh wala namang taya," Moreno said over ANC, adding that "Congress amended (PD) 1602, excluding bingo as gambling. It was declared as part of parlor games of any event or situation."

Meanwhile, the Manila Police District said it will continue to gather evidence against Moreno and the other councilors. (Sunnex)