‘Budol is Life’ vloggers nabbed for illegal basketball betting worth P33K
SAN JOSE CITY – Twelve alleged “vloggers”, mostly visitors from Bulacan province, were nabbed after they were caught engaged in illegal gambling while playing “high stakes” basketball on Sunday night here.
In a report to Nueva Ecija Police Director Col. Richard V. Caballero, city police head Lt. Col. Marlon M. Cudal said those arrested were mostly vloggers with a Facebook page named “Budol is Life”, who were engaged in a “best of one” basketball game in Zone 5, Barangay Palestina here.
Cudal said his men responded after being tipped off of an illegal gambling activity taking place in the area at 8:20 p.m. They caught the suspects red-handed with bet money seized amounting to P33,790.
“Oo kuyang, malakasan ang taya, sugal talaga,” he said in a text message to the Journal Group on Monday.
Nabbed were seven suspects who were residents of San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan, two from Norzagaray and two from Bgys. Malasin and Abar 1st, this city, and another from Caloocan City.
In their now deleted “Budol is Life” Facebook post, the suspects were seen inside a police detention cell, asking help from netizens. “Pa help naman guys dumayo po kami ng Nueva Ecija mga naglalaro po kami ng basketball!!! hinuli po kami ng pulis San Jose Nueva Ecija habang naglalaro ng basketball,” said its post, which already generated more than 3.2k reactions, 595 comments and 1.6k shares.
Cudal said the arrested suspects were slapped with violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602 before the city prosecutor’s office here.
