The 705 th Provincial Mobile Group swooped down on a suspected haven of a known financier of the illegal numbers game “swertres” in Ceriaco, Espina, Barangay Taclobo, Dumaguete City , the police said yesterday.

The raid on the house rented by the suspect, Bienvenido “Benny” Asenas, was conducted about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday by the police led by C/Insp. Julius Muñez, through a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 31 Judge Rogelio Carampatan dated December 4, 2007.

The target of the raid is one of the five financiers operating in Dumaguete City , Muñez said. The subject of the raid was Asenas and his “encargado,” staff, checkers, coordinators and runners identified as Dennis Tesio, and an alias Lando Tagalog.

Police said the suspect's neighbors had tipped them about the illegal activities.

Asenas was not around during the raid but police apprehended Tesio, 18, single, of Poblacion, Samboan, Cebu and temporarily residing at Dr. Meciano Road , Dumaguete.

He is a second year college student taking up Industrial Technology Mechanical Engineering at the Negros Oriental State University .

Tesio revealed he and 14 others are engaged in the gambling, with him as a coordinator. He admitted that Asenas is spending for his education.

He also told the police that, on that day, one of their bettors won P200,000.

Muñez said that, among the items confiscated from the house were illegal numbers game paraphernalia such as calculators, 13 bags with coins in different denominations, paper bills, a cellphone, 18 bundles of remittances, tally sheets, a bundle of previous results, and a motorcycle registered in the name of Constantino Gravador.

The raid was witnessed by Brgy. Taclobo Councilors Roger Bohol and Jessie Cortez.

A case for violating the illegal numbers game law or Republic Act 9287 as amended, will be filed against Tesio before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office.

Tesio is now held at the detention cell of Camp Fernandez in Agan-an, Sibulan.

Muñez said he is deploying personnel to different government offices to monitor government employees engaging in the illegal numbers game even during office hours.

He added that they will cover other towns and cities in the province in their operations.*RG

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