Why we fail

Not very long ago we were told of how a government official made a limp wristed attempt to manage a couple of greedy bosses who wanted to make so much money even at the risk of exposing their greed and corruption.

Unable to tell his bosses face to face, he simply sent an underling and told him to: “regulate their greed”. Since then, the phrase has become a standard choice of words when talking about corruption and greed in Philippine society.

Consider for instance how many times the “government” steps in to solve problems but end up becoming the problem or adding to the problem.

After decades of trying to fight “jueteng”, the government decided that “If you can’t beat them, join them”. So they put up Lotto. When that failed, they put up Small Town Lottery or STL. The idea seemed good, until the jueteng lords learned how to use the STL as a front to cover up their illegal numbers game or jueteng operations.

So everyone is now asking what went wrong?

Unfortunately, the guilty or the stupid are often the last to admit or realize their fault. Here is what went wrong:

Government planners and consultants started with a hostile position, to eradicate the gambling lords.

As a consequence, that would include their network as well as their customers. Gambling or otherwise it is a livelihood and it’s a business. You don’t put up your own business at the expense or at the loss of others because you end up with enemies and not just competition.

Second, the government as it is usually known to do, always wants a big slice of the pie for doing nothing! Everyday human logic dictates that every one who wants a slice of the pie must make the equivalent contribution.

But in the case of the STL, the government made the stupid and ignorant presumption that because “we are the government”, everybody will roll over or kneel in obedience. At 30 billion a year, jueteng lords could create a cartel and their own little government with their own little army!

From the looks of it and judging at the extent of the jueteng payola, the gambling lords have the makings of a shadow organization within the government of the Philippines.

Third, the government failed because it got greedy. When they started “Lotto” and STL, the idea was to fight what was “Illegal” and/or to gain revenue that the government could actually collect and benefit from. The philosophy and intent was to govern and to regulate. Just like in business, the less government, the better it is for business.

But the Philippine government ended up becoming the biggest gambling OPERATOR in the entire country. The Philippine government was suppose to make jueteng lords shift from their “Illegal” operations and replace those with STL or Small Town Lottery. In return, the gambling lords would then pay the normal tribute as practiced all over the world.

Unfortunately, the reverse happened. Why would a gambling lord be willing to give up hundreds of millions of pesos and downsize to a mom and pop operation just because the greedy government wants to take over the business?

It is one thing to declare something totally illegal for all, but when you declare one group illegal so that you can take over the business, that has to be immoral. When government loses the moral high ground, no one follows the rules.

I just realized today that naming names like Bishop Oscar Cruz and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago did, is really no major exposé.

The real major exposé is the fact that when the Philippine government decided to become the biggest gambling operator in the Philippines, the government also became ten times worst than, and more criminally efficient, than gambling lords.

If gambling lords practice what is called “jueteng payola” so does the republic of the Philippines. All we have to do is find out how many millions went to what province, town or city and its official and for what purpose?

How many millions went to what church, religious sect or religious group and for what purpose? How many hundreds of millions has been spent in advertising “Lotto” or STL or Pagcor or PCSO considering that gambling is a state-run monopoly?

How much money goes to media and media programs to insure good and POSITIVE exposure so no one is critical or questions the integrity of the business and how the authorities spend the money they earned.

How many millions have been spent on consultants, research etc? We should even investigate how real and how needy were some of the so-called charity cases supported by the biggest gambling lord of the country, namely the Philippine government?

If the government wants to succeed, those in leadership must make either a business decision or a moral commitment. It cannot be hot or cold, and it must regulate its greed.

You can give out the franchise subject to an established fee that allows operators to be in business for themselves and not employees of the Republic. In turn the government must regulate but not operate the business of gambling to insure that there is compliance with the law and not unfair competition.

Clearly, the republic of the Philippines needs to make its case clear. As we always say: “each time you point one accusing finger at the enemy, four of your own are accusing you also”.