AGENTS of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided the illegal operations of the two "Peryahan ng Bayan" outlets in simultaneous operations in Bacolod and Escalante City yesterday afternoon, May 7. Armed with a search warrant for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9287 or an Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Number Games issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 89 Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert, the agents swopped down the two facilities in Burgos-Lacson Streets, Bacolod City, and North Avenue in Escalante City at about 3:30 p.m. The operation in Bacolod City was also witnessed by retired Marine Major Manuel Fraginal, chief of the Nationwide Inter-Branch Security Monitoring of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and officials of Barangay 19. NBI-Bacolod head Renoir Baldovino said they secured the search warrants last week to stop the illegal operations of the two Peryahan ng Bayan outlets. He said in Escalante City, they arrested a total of 12 employees of "peryahan" and confiscated computer machines, television monitors, and number games paraphernalia. In Bacolod City, the agents also arrested 10 employees of "peryahan" including their Provincial Administrator Lito Estember. They confiscated draw machines, computers, routers and number games paraphernalia. Baldovino said of the 22 arrested, some of them are illegal gambling collectors and agents. All of them were brought to the NBI custodial facility and charges will be filed against them today for violation of RA 9287. "The case is bailable so they can file the bail," he said. He added they will determine the owner of the "peryahan" to include them in the filing of the case. Baldovino noted that before the operation, they conducted a surveillance because the establishment has no authority to operate from PCSO. Meanwhile, the "peryahan" employees refused to grant media interviews last night. Last month, the PCSO stopped the operation of the facility which was operated by Globaltech Mobile Online Corporation in Burgos-Lacson Streets, Bacolod City. During the raid that time, Globaltech resisted the closure and continue with their operation. They even removed the "notice of closure" tarpaulin posted by PCSO in front of the establishment. Fraginal stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte earlier issued Executive Order 13, requiring all the local government units and law enforcement agencies to clear their areas of illegal gambling. Last month, Globaltech also filed grave coercion and alarm and scandal against Fraginal before the City Prosecutor's Office. PCSO tapped the assistance of NBI to stop the operations of "peryahan" because, in the previous operation, Fraginal questioned the action of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) for not arresting the personnel of Globaltech who are operating the illegal number games. Fraginal urged the officials of Bacolod City to help them eradicate the operation of illegal numbers game so the government will have enough funds to serve the Filipinos. "This is a national project so we will support it," Fraginal added.