“‹I have been firm and consistent in my previous writings about the need to eradicate illegal numbers games in the country. The government loses up to P20 billion annually due to the persistence of illegal gambling syndicates. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, as a charitable institution, should maximize its revenues in order to help more Filipinos in need.
“‹The heads of government agencies must be visionaries. They should know how to plan well for the future of their respective agencies and its long-term effect to our country. It seems that the PCSO cannot see the importance of their office.
“‹Jueteng has been around in the Philippines since the Spanish era. It is considered an illegal numbers game for the fact that it lacks transparency in the winning results. Whether we like it or not, jueteng has been a way of life for Filipinos and the only way we can eliminate it as an illegal numbers game is by legalizing it.
“‹Small-town lottery was introduced during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, with the aim of eliminating illegal numbers game. This was their way of legalizing jueteng with the requirement that the draw of winning numbers be done transparently. Currently, there are 18 corporations operating STL nationwide, covering 38 percent of the country. Thus, the PCSO should expand its operations to achieve 100-percent coverage.
The nationwide implementation of STL will not only earn the government billions but will also eradicate illegal gambling. The PCSO can employ at least a million Filipinos who may be considered less employable through traditional job fairs. These citizens are most likely overage, lacking enough education, or former drug dependents. One million employees earning P200 a day translates to P73 billion in purchasing power, which encourages an underground economy. This is our preferred long-term effect.
After the break, the minority group will file a resolution requiring the PCSO to submit the number of employees it hires every month. This way, we could monitor the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness in eradicating illegal numbers game in the country. Illegal gambling is a serious battle we should continue to fight.