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PCSO losing faith in PNP’s gambling crackdown


The Philippines Charity and Sweepstakes Office is planning to cut funding to the Philippine National Police (PNP), because of what they describe as PNP’s ‘anemic’ performance in their campaign against illegal gambling, Manila Bulletin reports.

The PCSO currently gives 2.5 percent of its monthly revenue to the PNP.

PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said they were planning to cut the funding by around 50 percent.

“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.

The PNP and PCSO signed a MOA last year, which agrees that that PCSO will give the PNP 2.5 percent of its revenues every month in exchange for aggressive anti-illegal gambling operations across the country.

But Balutan said they are disappointed by the performance of the PNP in cracking down on operators of illegal numbers game in the country.

“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.

Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, a PNP spokesman, however explained that while the police have been busy fighting in an illegal drugs war, they have not ignored their other law enforcement functions including cracking down on 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 P5 million in bets confiscated.

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