More than a year after President Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 13, which launched an all-out war against illegal gambling nationwide, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and its investigation arm, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), have been inconsequentially implementing the law as jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling, such as peryahan ng bayan, pares, swertres, masiao, etc., are still being operated by politicians and their police accomplices.
Well, the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy in the Commission on Elections for the midterm election in 2019 will be in October. Jueteng is one of the fund sources of politicians who run for positions in the government. Some of those who turn into politicians, or the wannabes, come from the PNP.
One example of how the campaign against illegal gambling is being set aside is the resurfacing of the peryahan by an online firm in some parts of Bicol despite the strict order by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to terminate their operations. In 2016 the PCSO revoked the said firm’s Deed of Authority to operate the peryahan in some provinces because of its multiple contract violations, such as insufficient remittances or outright failure to remit to the PCSO. The conflict reached the court and, in October 13, 2017, the Regional Trial Court, Branch 161, in Pasig City dismissed the company’s Writ of Injunction.
The company’s propaganda is that their operations are legal, while the PCSO’s Small Town Lottery (STL) is illegal. Ergo, they are deceiving the masses with wrong information because for each draw of the peryahan, they earn millions from said illegal operations.
The peryahan has reached Pioduran, Libon, Oas, Polangi, Guinobatan and Rapu-rapu. It has been reported that the gambling lords offered P10 million as “goodwill money” to governors of the provinces and P300,000 to mayors for the protection of their peryahan operations.
On March 2 PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan has forwarded a letter addressed to Senior Supt. Rizalito Gapas, regional chief of CIDG 5, and calling the attention of Chief Insp. Luke Ventura, Albay CIDG chief. The said letter identified the company whose peryahan operations must be terminated. Senior Police Officer 1 Michael Caluwag received Balutan’s letter. Here are some of the pertinent paragraphs:
“Respectfully informing your office that Globaltech Mobile Online Corporation, [Globaltech for brevity] has been operating an illegal numbers game, through its Peryahan ng Bayan’s ‘Lucky Tres/Swertres’ activity in your area of responsibility.
“In view thereof, PCSO is requesting for your office’s assistance in curbing out this illegal numbers- game activity as stipulated in Section 1 of EO 13 [Annex ‘E’].”
Aside from this, Balutan issued a certification dated February 27, 2018, stating that said operations are illegal.
The PCSO also reminded PNP of the repercussions awaiting any official or staff and those illegal gambling participants contravening Republic Act 9287 (An Act increasing the penalties for illegal numbers games, amending certain provisions of Presidential Decree 1692, and for other purposes”). The law states that any violator shall be imprisoned for 12 to 20 years and shall be fined P3 million to P5 million, and permanently be disqualified for participating in government elections.
Last, PNP chief General Ronald M. dela Rosa should disseminate copies of the memorandum of agreement to all police commanders, and they must always be reminded that the MOA grants power to every police commander in the country to stop illegal gambling operations in their area.
In 2017 the total amount received by the PNP from the STL earnings is P393,685,541.77. Those who benefited from STL earnings include the PNP National Headquarters (P62.9 million); PNP Regional Offices (P62.9 million); PNP Provincial Offices (P78.7 million); PNP Municipal/City (P110.2 million); CIDG National Headquarters (P31.4 million); CIDG Regional Offices (P31.4 million); and CIDG Provincial Offices (P15.7 million).
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1 comment
This is why it is important to inform the general public that STL is the only legal numbers game in the country. Be informed;support PCSO STL!