Lacson expresses concern over reported cases of suicide due to online gambling

SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan — Partido Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson acknowledged that some Filipinos’ growing addiction to online gambling warrants serious attention from the national government amid reported cases of suicide and destruction of families because of it.

Lacson was referring to the popular electronic cockfight betting or “e-sabong” that was aided by the rise of digital wallets in the country, which he said has now become a “social problem,” as it left many compulsive gamblers in deeper financial ruin after losing so much money on their bets.

In a press conference prior to his “Online Kumustahan” gathering in Bulacan, Saturday (November 27), the veteran lawmaker cited the case of a father, who reportedly committed suicide after he could no longer pay back P600,000 he owed due to e-sabong.

“May nabalitaan nga kami sa Pampanga. ‘Yung ama ng tahanan nagkautang—umabot ‘yung utang niya ng P600,000 gawa ng e-sabong. Nagpakamatay, ang naiwan ‘yung mga anak. So, maraming mga social problem na nakadugtong,” Lacson told reporters.

(We learned about this father in Pampanga whose debt reached P600,000 because of e-sabong. He committed suicide, left his children behind. So, there are indeed social problems attached to the issue.)

The presidential aspirant likewise noticed why it’s easier for people to get addicted to online gambling these days as transactions are purely made online with no cash on hand. This makes the industry much harder to regulate for the government because our existing laws remain limited.

“Alam niyo pagka ang ginagamit mo lang online, hindi mo nakikita ‘yung actual cash na lumalabas e. Sige ka lang nang sige, bahala na si Batman, doon nagkakaroon ng social problem. So, ito ‘yung titingnan natin, hindi lang e-sabong kundi lahat ng klase ng gambling,” Lacson said.

(You know, when you are betting online, you don’t see the actual cash coming out. You keep gambling, let Batman take care of the consequences, and there goes the social problem. So, we really need to look into it, not only for e-sabong but all types of online gambling.)

While Lacson recognized the need to supervise the industry, authorities have to reconcile it with the Constitution first because e-sabong is not considered a public utility. He said it is the reason applications to grant legislative franchise for e-sabong firms remain pending at the Senate Committee on Public Services.

His running mate, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, echoed the same. He refused to comment on the matter in his capacity as the incumbent Senate President to avoid unduly influencing ongoing discussions on the proposed legislation by the House of Representatives regarding e-sabong.

“Ang pananaw ko diyan, we’re caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Bakit? ‘Pag hindi mo binigyan ng franchise ‘yan, mag-o-operate pa rin, ‘di ba—iligal. At ‘pag sinabi nating iligal, e online, medyo may dayaan pa,” Sotto said.

(My personal view on that is we’re caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Why? If we don’t grant the franchise, it will keep operating illegally. And when we say illegal, since it is online, it is susceptible to fraud.)

“‘Pag binigyan mo naman (ng franchise), ayan na, ‘yung sinasabi ni Senator Lacson na problema na kahit sino pwede. E hindi lang nga, ano, hindi lang national; international e, ‘di ba?” the vice-presidential bet added, citing the complexity of the issue.

(Once you grant the legislative franchise, there goes what Senator Lacson has pointed out as a problem because it will be open to all. And its operations are not just national in scope, but international.)

Lacson earlier noted that with electronic payment systems readily available now, even the youth could bet on online cockfights, which has become a “borderless” situation because overseas Filipino workers are also patronizing local betting games.

Sotto said the Senate has to probe deeper on whether “e-sabong” can be considered a public utility and carefully study the provisions laid out on the proposed legislative franchise to allow off-site betting activities for duly-licensed online gambling firms.

Lacson reiterated further that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) must also be consulted on the issue because once e-sabong gains a congressional license, it would lose its regulatory powers over the activity.

Lacson expresses concern over reported cases of suicide due to online gambling
Source: Philippines Clips