• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City village chief Noli Villarosa yesterday challenged officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod City, to resign if the illegal gambling charges filed against him are not proven in court.
Villarosa, the barangay captain of Tangub in Bacolod City, yesterday made the challenge, as he repeatedly denied any involvement in illegal Small Town Lottery (STL) operations in Kabankalan City.
Villarosa was tagged by the NBI as the alleged illegal gambling financier, with two barangay captains in Kabankalan City as the alleged protectors.
Along with Kabankalan City barangay captains Joel Alibango and Franz Leonard Seguiro of Barangays 5 and 6 respectively, they have been charged before the Kabankalan City Prosecutors Office with violation of Republic Act 9287, which increases penalties for involvement in illegal numbers games after amending certain provisions of Presidential Decree 1602.
Villarosa reiterated that he is ready to resign from his post if the NBI is able to prove to court that he was indeed involved in illegal STL operations.
He called on Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and even Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, to open a forum on illegal gambling, inviting all law enforcement agencies to attend in order to find a way to identify individuals who are really involved in the illegal numbers game.*
