Barbers: “See, I told you so!”

MATAGAL ng ikinakampanya ni Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs na ipagbawal ang operasyon ng Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) sa dahilang nagkakaroon ito ng ill-effect sa ating lipunan.

Tinuligsa ni Barbers ang maluwag na pagkontrol sa pagdagsa ng malaking bilang ng Chinese tourists-turned POGO workers na nagdulot lamang ng social and security concerns sa ating bansa.

“I had long held that, prior to the spread of Covid-19 virus in March 2020, that there are serious effects on the POGOs online gambling operations to our war against, money laundering, criminality, graft and corruption and illegal drugs,” pahayag ni Barbers..

Illegal drugs, graft and corruption, money laundering, abduction cases, crimes such as murder, prostitution, torture, extortion, usurious loan-shark, suicide, and alarming gambling-related crimes ang mga batayan sa indikasyon na ang POGO ay nagdudulot ng masamang epekto sa lipunan at pinahina nito ang paglaban ng gobyerno sa mga krimeng ito.

Ilang mga kongresista na rin ang naringgan ko na tutol sila sa operasyon ng POGO pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin kumikilos upang tuluyan nang itaboy ang on-line gaming operations na ito.

Malaki raw kasi ang ambag na buwis na galing sa POGO. Ang katwiran ng Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, ang nagbigay ng prangkisa sa POGO operations, nag-aambag ito ng mahigit P37 billion taun-taon upang tustusan ang local infrastructure at socio-civic development projects. Subalit sa ulat ng Bureau of Internal Revenue kumolekta lamang ito ng P3 billion mula sa POGO operations.

Sa tala ng Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group noong November 2019, 31 kaso ng kidnap-for-ransom sangkot ang Chinese nationals mula 2017 to 2019. Nangyari ang karamihan sa kaso mismo sa casinos at on-line gaming na matatagpuan sa paligid ng binansagang “Entertainment City.”

Ayon kay Barbers mayroong mga indikasyon na ginagamit ng Chinese drug syndicates ang on-line gambling facilities bilang “front” ng kanilang illegal trade batay sa report ng PNP.

Sa kidnapping incidence as early as November 2019, ipinakita sa datos ng Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group, 31 Kidnap-for-Ransom cases sangkot ang Chinese nationals mula 2017 to 2019, at karamihan nangyari ang mga kaso sa paligid lamang ng tinatawag na “Entertainment City” kung saan matatagpuan ang casinos at on-line gaming.

Sa kaso naman ng money laundering scheme sa pamamagitan ng casino, ang kaso ng ninakaw na $US81 million mula sa isang Bangladesh Bank account sa Federal Bank of New York noong 2016. Napasakamay ng isang mayamang Chinese-Filipino junket operator at ipinautang ang ilang bahagi ng ninakaw sa high-rollers ng casinos’ VIP rooms at sa Entertainment City.

Sa record ng PAGCOR noong 2019, mayroon lamang 12 POGO firms ang binigyan ng prangkisa. Pero ang ginawa nila, iligal umanong “pinarami” ang kanilang prangkisa na animo’y kabute na tumubo na lang basta.

“The danger of online gambling on the other hand, Barbers said, is founded by its potential capacity to “revolutionize’ or re-invent the money laundering processes that undoubtedly promotes illegal drug trade and other organized crime activities,” ayon kay Barbers.

“This is because the nature of the Internet, including other Apps such as the Dark Net, allows transactions to occur almost instantaneously and with anonymity, thereby allowing the criminal launderer to avoid detection. The online gambling being operated by POGOs may even be worse than the traditional casino gambling operations,” dagdag pa ng mambabatas.

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Hala, lagot ka!

ACTORS, actresses, other celebrities pakibasa po ito.

Narito pa ang isang pahayag ni Barbers “Alam ko na halos lahat ng ating mga artista ay drug-free o malinis sa usapin ng illegal na droga. Pero meron din na naliligaw ng landas, na gumagamit o minsan nagtutulak pa ng illegal na droga.”

“Kaya hinihiling at hinihikayat ko ang hanay ng ating movie industry na tumulong sa kampanya laban sa droga sa pamamagitan ng pag-police ng kanilang ranks at i-subject ang kanilang mga talents sa drug test bago bigyan ng pelikula,” dagdag pa ni Barbers.

Bilang chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, tama lang ang ginawa ni Barbers na gawing mandatory ang drug testing sa ating mga artista bago sila bigyang ng peliklula.

Hindi naman niya nilalahat ng mga artista ay gumagamit ng droga pero mayroon ng mga pangyayari sangkot ang ilang mga sikat na artista sa puting tabing ang nasangkot na sa kalakaran ng droga dito sa ating bansa.

Noong panahon ni dating President Rodrigo Duterte sa kampanya nito sa anti-drug war na sinimulan noong 2016, mayroong ng walong celebrities ang inaresto sa umano’y pagkakasangkot sa illegal drugs. Isa na dito ang actor na si Mark Anthony Fernandez, son of the late Rudy Fernandez and Alma Moreno who was arrested in October 2016 by the Angeles City Police after marijuana was found inside his car; starlet Krista Miller who was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in Valenzuela City in September 2016; former sexy actress Sabrina M who was arrested by Quezon City police during a drug buy-bust operation at her home in Barangay Pasong, Quezon City in September 2016; and radio disk jockey Karen Bordador and boyfriend Emilio Lim who were arrested after a buy-bust operation in Pasig City. Reports said that approximately P3 million worth of ecstasy, marijuana, and marijuana oil were found in their condo unit in Pasig City in August 2016.

The others include former child star CJ Ramos, together with alleged drug pusher Louella Gilen, who were arrested by the Caloocan City Police in a drug buy-bust operation in July 2018 in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. CJ made a comeback in showbiz after Kapamilya actor Coco Martin tapped him for as part of the longest-running teleserye “Ang Probinsyano”; Fliptop rapper Zaito, who is also a part of “Ang Probinsyano,” was arrested for illegal drugs on April 2018; and another “Ang Probinsyano” actor, Julio Diaz who was arrested with possession of 12 grams of shabu during a drug buy-bust operation at Barangay Langka in Meycauayan City in April 2018.

At nito lamang nakaraang Sabado, naaresto ng Quezon City Police District operatives sa isang buy-bust operation ang actor na si Dominic Roco, anak ng beteranong actor na si Bembobol Roco at apat pang kasamahan sa Quezon City.

Na-recover mula kay Roco ang P112,000 halaga ng shabu, P14,000 halaga ng dried marijuana, isang weighing scale at marked peso bills. Kasama ni Roco nahuli sina Reynaldo Sanchez, 45; Eugene Marvin Tolentino, 27; Renz Anthony Cruz, 33 and Dexie Diamante, 21.