Supervise

Every complaint against the rapid spread of digital gambling portals is valid. The ease of payments through modern financial technologies enabled online gambling networks to proliferate with little state supervision – unleashing all the social problems produced by widespread gambling addiction.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines raised alarm about the state’s apparent abdication of its moral responsibility. A number of populist politicians have jumped into the fray, proposing simplistic solutions: namely, to outrightly ban online gaming.

At this point, the worst thing that could possibly be done confronting this problem is to ban online gaming completely. This can only be called the path of policy indolence.

For years, we tried banning gambling networks outright. To no avail. The gambling syndicates continued to thrive beyond the pale of state regulation, avoiding taxes and concentrating undocumented wealth to an extent that gambling money decided elections in many localities. When banned, they simply go underground.

When government tried to set up parallel betting systems to compete with the banned gambling activities, these systems were eventually coopted by the gambling lords. Take the case of small town lotteries and the jueteng lords, for instance.

We all should learn from the colossal failure of the Prohibition in the US a century ago. When the American government, under the sway of purists, chose to ban consumption of alcohol, it opened a Pandora’s Box of problems enforcement could not solve. Criminal syndicates such as the Mafia thrived by peddling illicit alcohol. Bootleggers began producing unregulated and unsafe brews. By and large, alcohol consumption was not diminished.

Eventually, the US government gave up. Prohibition was lifted. Alcoholic products were manufactured and sold under tight regulations intended to protect the consumer from harm.

In this country, we tried to ban cigarette smuggling. The results were meager at best. When the rewards outweigh the risks, smuggling will proliferate.

One congressman in the brand new Congress filed a bill banning troll farms. That will be futile.

Banning online gambling could prove more dangerous. Without supervision, there will be little government could do to protect consumers. Given the technological environment where there is nearly universal internet access and digital payments platforms, the ban could not possibly work. Review the results of the ban on e-sabong.

An outright ban will not only cause government to completely lose control. It will shut down a lucrative source of public revenue. Note that under the Universal Health Care Law, half of PAGCOR’s revenue goes to fund PhilHealth.

With better regulation, government can enforce strict safeguards on licensed gaming operators. They will have to install software that verifies the age and identity of every player. Operators can set time and spending limits on their clients. The gaming systems will need to install anti-fraud protections and be subject to regular audits. The gaming outfits may be legally required to promote responsible gaming.

This is the way to go.

Contender

One of the deputy speakers at the House of Representatives recently announced that 285 of the 317 congressmen have signified their support for Martin Romualdez. It might seem, from those numbers, that the speakership contest is settled well before sessions resume on July 28.

But why the continued speculation?

Over the past few days, speculation centered on the possibility that Rep. Duke Frasco might join the fight for the speakership. The speculation, it seems, was sparked by Frasco’s high visibility during President BBM’s recent visit to Osaka. Speculation persists even after the Cebu congressman denied he was contesting the leadership post.

Frasco gained national attention when he publicly refused to signify support for Romualdez’ speakership bid. Somehow that sounded like the thud of a gauntlet being thrown to the ground.

On his third term as a congressman representing the 5th District of Cebu, Frasco has maintained a fairly low political profile despite his accomplishments. He began his political career in 2007, serving three terms as mayor of Liloan. Facing term limits, he was elected Liloan vice mayor in 2016. Shortly after, he was appointed a commissioner of the Cebu Port Authority. From that vantage point, he was able to usher in the construction of the Liloan Port.

In 2019, after his election to the House, Frasco pushed for the establishment of new campuses for the Cebu Technological University and the Cebu Normal University. In addition, he pushed for increased funding for improving health care delivery in Cebu, including the construction of the Liloan Children’s Hospital.

Frasco is a quiet worker who get things done without having to grandstand. Raised in the US, he earned his degree in Finance and Accounting there and began working as internal auditor for a large multinational corporation. He is more inclined to work outside the limelight.

But Frasco is well positioned in the current political configuration. His prominence in Cebu’s politics and his maternal roots in Mindanao will be a value-added to the ruling coalition. He seems to have gathered quiet support from those hoping the House can still be led by a promising young politician free from the baggage borne by the Romualdez leadership.

The House, composed of locally elected politicians, has historically been more receptive to political signals from the President. Frasco’s fate therefore depends on President BBM’s own calculation of what will work best for his presidency, one tarnished by the outcome of the last midterm elections.

The “bold reset” he promised may yet extend to the House.