PCSO plans to cut financial support to PNP
For poor performance in illegal gambling campaign
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be losing millions of pesos in financial support from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) because of what the agency describes as the PNP’s ‘anemic’ performance in the campaign against illegal gambling.
PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said they are planning to cut the agency’s support by at least 50 percent. PCSO sets a 2.5 percent monthly allocation for the PNP from its monthly revenue.
“We are already having a discussion that by October this year, we will amend the existing Memorandum of Agreement. We will reduce the 2.5 percent in order for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation to also have a share,” said Balutan.
Based on the MOA signed between the PNP and the PCSO last year, the latter will give 2.5 percent of its revenues to the PNP every month in exchange for aggressive anti-illegal gambling operations across the country.
From January to June this year, it was learned that the PNP has already received more than R154 million from the PCSO.
But Balutan said they are disappointed by the performance of the PNP in running after the operators of the illegal numbers game in the country.
He said that instead of focusing on illegal gambling financiers, the PNP has been contented with ordinary collectors and bettors.
“Nagkaroon po ng R154 million ang share ng PNP natin from January up to this date. Medyo anemic ang kanilang performance though nagkaroon kami ng signing last November last year na paiigtingin ang laban para sa illegal gambling. Meron din naman silang mga gains at meron din naman silang mga nahuli pero kulang pa ito, (The PNP had a R154 million share from January to this date. But their performance was anemic after the signing last November in the midst of the war against illegal gambling. They had gains and they also made some arrests, but it was not enough), he said.
“We had a memorandum of agreement, I hope that will not only be on paper. Arrest, charge and jail the illegal gambling financiers and do not focus only on the small fry,” said Balutan.
The official said they want the NBI to also have a share of the PCSO revenue since the agency is also their partner in enforcing the law against jueteng and other forms of illegal numbers games.
Based on the NBI report for the past months, Balutan said the NBI has successfully arrested and charged bigtime illegal number games operators in Bicol and Central Luzon.
“We also want to tap the AFP through its counter-intelligence operations against illegal numbers games. That’s why we also want them to have a share of our revenue,” said Balutan.
The revenue share that would be obtained by the AFP in the future will be used for the medical needs of the wounded soldiers, according to Balutan.
Balutan said that he understands that the PNP is now focused on the illegal drugs war. He, however, said that the PNP should do more in the campaign as stipulated in the MOA.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, PNP spokesman, explained that while the police have been busy in the illegal drugs war, they had not been remiss in other law enforcement functions such as running after illegal gambling operators.
Based on the PNP data from February to July 14, more than 12,000 people have already been arrested in the illegal gambling campaign across the country with some R5 million in bets confiscated.