Pacquiao sister wanted for illegal gambling racket

Article from Borneo Bulletin Weekend. Published on Saturday Jul, 31 2010

In this undated file picture shows Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao (R) posing for a photo with brother Ruel (L) and sister Isidra Paglinawan in General Santos City. AFP

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (AFP) - Philippine police said Friday that a sister of boxing hero Manny Pacquiao was involved in running an illegal gambling racket, after detaining 25 people in a raid on her home.

A police vice squad detained the 25 and seized evidence, including gambling materials and cash, in Thursday's raid on the home of Pacquiao's elder sister, Isidra Paglinawan, said local police chief inspector Leo Sua.

Pacquiao, the seven-time world champion elected to a seat in the Philippine parliament this year, personally watched as police searched the house in the southern port city of General Santos, but vowed not to interfere.

A lower court in General Santos ordered the raid as part of a crackdown on an illegal numbers game known as "masiao", but Paglinawan, 34, was not at home, Sua told reporters.

He said the detained people were bet collectors for the illegal racket, in which bettors place wagers on the last two digits of the winning ticket of the Philippine lottery.

Police seized 33,000 pesos (about $721) in suspected bets, said Sua, who led the raid. He said police would ask state prosecutors to file illegal gambling charges in court against Paglinawan and the 25 other suspects.

Sua said police were searching for Paglinawan.