Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Barangay chief begins fight vs. operators
A BARANGAY captain yesterday made formal his statement against operators of three video carrera machines that were seized in Talisay City Monday last week.
Lagtang Barangay Captain Celiapo Cabuenas showed up at the office of City Legal Officer Owen Algoso at City Hall in preparation for the filing of an illegal gambling case
against the operators.
Algoso said the testimony of Cabuenas on the confiscation of the illegal gambling machines is needed for the filing of a criminal complaint at the city prosecutor’s office.
The seizure became controversial after six people, including the four carrera operators, allegedly ransacked the two-story Lagtang barangay hall and removed coins and the central processing units of the coin-operated machines.
Its owners claimed that building caretaker Romeo Pineda gave them the door key, that is why they had access to the barangay hall early Tuesday dawn.
Pineda, however, denied this, saying that he was asleep on the terrace when the operators barged into the building. He said the commotion inside roused him from his sleep.
Apart from Cabuenas’ statement, Algoso also wanted barangay councilors and tanods to execute affidavits detailing the confiscation of three carrera machines.
He expects the barangay officials to appear in his office this week.
Algoso said the affidavits will establish how the video carrera machines were confiscated from its owners last Monday.
Cabuenas led the tanods in seizing the machines in three different sitios following complaints from residents about the proliferation of illegal gambling machines in Lagtang.
He revealed that at least nine video carrera owners have reportedly been operating in the barangay, enticing adults and minors alike to play the coin-operated machines. (GC)
