Congressional leaders on Wednesday expressed dismay over the failure of Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to show up at a House of Representatives hearing on the alleged involvement of some uniformed personnel in illegal small town lottery (STL) and gaming operations.
At the same time, the absence of any PNP representative from the hearing at the House committee on games and amusements on Monday irked Rep. Gus Tambunting of Parañaque City, the panel chairperson, and Rep. Romeo Acop of Antipolo City.
They said the national police was not taking the House invitation seriously.
“In the next hearing of these two committees, if ever the PNP Chief will be invited again, the invitation will be strongly-worded. I think the PNP is not taking our invitation seriously because of the attendance of the deputies, not the bosses,” Acop, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, said.
At the start of the hearing, Acop—a former police general himself—asked the resource persons from the PNP who was the representative of Dela Rosa.
“You are disregarding the invitation of Congress. I ask you now, who is going to represent the chief PNP because he was invited by the committee secretariat?” he said.
Police Chief Supt. Fausto Manzanilla Jr., Deputy Director of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, said no one among them was representing Dela Rosa.
The other police officers present were Chief Supt. Edmond Gonzales, Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Police Legal Officer Supt. Aris Pestaño.
Reports quoting Solicitor General Jose Calida said Dela Rosa was in New York for an anti-terrorism conference.
Tambunting said the joint inquiry was intended to allow the PNP to shed light on the Revised 2016 Implementing Rules and Regulations of the STL operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, which were formulated to expand the STL operations nationwide.
Moreover, the hearing aimed to address the concerns on raising revenues and creating employment, and ensure that taxes due the government are paid, the solon said.
The hearing would also help in the formulation of anti-illegal gambling and anti-corruption measures, said Tambunting.
“We want to be assured that the objectives of the Revised STL IRR are achieved. Hence, our interest in the illegal gambling games operations,” he said.
Tambunting said the two committees wanted to get an update from the PNP on the illegal numbers game operations, especially with the market expansion program of the STL, as the PNP is the government agency tasked to curb illegal gaming.
“This meeting was basically called just for a briefing on the issue of STL because the PCSO always has been stating that the reason why they are having a difficult time in raising revenues is because of the not so cooperative PNP personnel on the ground,” he said.
Acop said his committee had been conducting an inquiry into the manifest breakdown of discipline in the PNP in light of recent high-profile criminal incidents allegedly involving officers and members of the organization.
Acop said last Sept. 19 during the committee’s inquiry that one of the issues raised was the involvement of police personnel in illegal gambling and illegal numbers games such as jueteng. To clarify the matter, he said the committee requested the PNP to submit an intelligence report on the STL operations.
“The PCSO General Manager has been quoted as saying that the performance of the PNP in its anti-illegal gambling operations is dismal. The PNP Chief has disputed such allegation,” said Acop.
Acop said that the committees were expecting that a briefing by the PNP would provide ample information on the STL operations and the PNP’s anti-illegal gambling campaign.