BUTUAN CITY – Five Chinese nationals and three local residents were arrested for engaging in illegal gambling while police authorities are strictly implementing the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in this region’s capital city of Butuan.
In his report to Brig. Gen. Joselito T. Esquivel, Jr., director of Caraga Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13), Metro Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) City director Col. Canilo A. Fuentes, identified the arrested foreigners as Qinghua Cai, 40; Dong Jun Li, 40; Wilson Ong Chua, 55; Liming Cai, 64 and Ziguang Cai, 54. Police also apprehended two local residents at Purok 3, Shangrila Homes, Barangay Imadejas, this city.
Fuentes said all of them were arrested while “tong-its” and “mah-jong”.
They were arrested for Resistance and Disobedience in Persons of Authority and violation of local Executive Order No. 23 or the Executive Order Placing the City of Butuan in an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the city’s top cop said.
Police authorities confiscated a total of P40,980 worth of bet money, playing cards, a set of mahjong, a mahjong pad and table, and two bottles of liquor, he said.
“The success in this war against COVID-19 pandemic generally lies on the positive response and cooperation of the public, not just on the efforts of the frontliners,” Esquivel said. (Mike U. Crismundo)