The President issued Executive Order No. 13 ordering law enforcement agencies to intensify the fight against illegal gambling. On this issue, the Minority is equal to the task. After all, we have always been vocal against illegal gambling.
Illegal gambling include jueteng, masiao and other numbers games, which are widespread in provinces and areas not reached by the Small Town Lottery. The persistence of illegal numbers games results in lost revenue. Jueteng and masiao operators, including their protectors, deprive the government of badly needed funds that are necessary to defray the costs of health programs, medical assistance, emergency relief and services, and other charitable undertakings.
There is lack of regulation and transparency. Bettors lose their money for a rigged draw while operators constantly profit. Lastly, illegal gambling deters the success of the lottery programs of the government, the Small Town Lottery and the Philippine Lotto, because jueteng and masiao lure people to bet on a fixed and non-transparent numbers game. I would suppose the “forbidden” element makes these games appealing.
While we can exhaustively debate on the moral issues of gambling, we must accept that it has become a way of life for a majority of our people. To address the perils inherent in illegal gambling, I propose a unified recognition of the sole legal numbers game nationwide which will be the Philippine Lotto and the Small Town Lottery Program under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. This aims to completely eradicate jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling while facilitating the expansion of this national legal numbers game to all provinces in the country.
We in the Minority remain vigilant of the President’s advocacies and decisions. On the issue of illegal gambling, we acknowledge and support the President’s efforts. The prevalence of illegal gambling maintains and encourages a habit of defying existing laws to the detriment of peace and order in our nation.
Illegal operators have a window of opportunity to legitimize their operations. I strongly encourage them to take it.