President Duterte: “I will read it all over again and I would like to see the dimension of it all.”
PRESIDENT DUTERTE — On Sunday, the President bared that he might come up with a decision on whether or not the operations of “online sabong” will be allowed in the Philippines.
“It’s up for my signature,” the President said during a site inspection of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga on May 1. “The recommendation is on my table now. Maybe by Monday, malaman natin kung ituloy o hindi.”
President Duterte has again justified his reason for allowing the operations of “online sabong” to continue as it is a large-income generating activity that would be key to the government’s projects, especially in its healthcare system.
According to the President, if he can, he would gamble on it just so the government can have another source of money. The President, however, said that he’s also aware of the social problems evolving from “online sabong” such as addiction to gamble.
“We must study seriously or take into consideration yung social issue,” the President said. “So nandiyan na ngayon, by Monday we would know. Pag-aralan ko ‘yan mamayang gabi, I will read it all over again and I would like to see the dimension of it all.”
The President also expressed belief that its operations should be under the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). According to him, online cockfighting operations should be placed under the supervision of PAGCOR as all state-sanctioned gaming activities are under its jurisdiction.
Touching on the issue of the missing sabungeros, President Duterte also likened the operations of “online sabong” or online cockfighting to the operations of illegal drugs in the Philippines, where some police officers are also involved.
The President even recalled his failed attempt to solve the country’s drug problem in 6 months as what he had promised during the campaigns.
READ ALSO | Duterte on Campaign Promise over Drugs: “Payabangan naman ‘yang kampanya…”
According to him, he didn’t know that he would actually be up against the government, itself as police, including generals, the Customs, and other agencies are involved in the drug operations.
President Duterte was speaking at the site inspection of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital, which is currently under construction.
The said hospital is being constructed on a 1.5-hectare property donated by the Provincial Government of Pampanga. It is expected to serve overseas Filipino workers and their legal dependents once fully operational by the end of June 2022.
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