The proliferation of illegal gambling and illegal drugs are two major issues which are of grave parochial and national concern.
After the aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, the government would soon declare a war against illegal gambling. Just last month, the PCSO announced to impose more stringent policies with regard to Small Town Lottery operations in order to eliminate illegal numbers game. Currently, there are 18 licensed STL authorized agent corporations in the country, which PCSO Chairman Jose Corpuz plans to expand next year. This expansion is expected to bring in about P11.5 billion in 2017.
Despite STL, it has come to my knowledge that the number of illegal bookies rose dramatically. According to Chairman Corpuz there were 189 agent applications which were not approved by the PCSO Board. These agent applications could be illegal operators seeking to operate legally.
The country loses about P15 billion annually due to illegal numbers game. The PCSO failed to reach its annual revenue target of P50 billion as a result. Chairman Corpuz reveals that the big-time gambling lords are cooperating with the PCSO’s drive to eliminate illegal gambling. This is welcome news. I also support the 2.5 percent incentive that the PNP will receive from STL collections to fortify the drive against illegal gambling.
The war on drugs is not yet over. It is a long-running series that we are all watching. While we celebrated the efficacy of the initial charge of this administration against the illegal drug trade, we noticed that the menace is now experiencing its second wind. During the early stages of the drug war, the price of these contraband rose because of the lack of the supply. It is very unfortunate that prices are now stabilizing and the supply side seem to have more that made up for the past months’ dearth.
Quezon province remains victim to the twin ills of illegal gambling and drugs. Despite the aggressive stand taken by the present administration towards eradicating these evils, it has been reported that the towns of Tiaong, Dolores, San Antonio, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucena, Tayabas and the far-flung town of Catanauan, in my home district, are stomping grounds for illegal bookies and drug pushers. While I am not keen on finding blame, this situation questions the vigilance of local and provincial law enforcement. Where are the cops when you need them?
The twin problem of illegal drugs and gambling needs to be resolved with a long-term vision that does not ebb and flow with the change of each administration. This cannot be resolved overnight. We need to have long-term plans, stronger collaboration of respective agencies, and intensified execution of anti-illegal drugs and anti-illegal gambling campaigns to make the solutions more effective and sustainable in the long run.
