Binay calls out PNP’s ‘misplaced priorities’ in quelling STLs instead of crime
Credit to Author: jespinosa| Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2019 08:54:37 +0000
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay on Sunday said the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) move to focus on closing down small-town lottery (STL) outlets rather than chasing after criminals shows their “misplaced sense of priority,” as she called the move an “overkill and overreaction.”
Following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the gaming operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), including lotto and STL, the PNP launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling.
READ: Duterte stops all PCSO gaming activities including lotto, STL
Binay said the police force should stop “wasting their time” and shift their focus to investigating crimes — such as the series of deaths in Negros Oriental.
“Instead of wasting their time in closing down lotto outlets, bakit ‘di nila pagdiskitahan habulin at hulihin ang mga nasa wanted list nila, o yung mga insidente ng patayan sa Negros? Mobilizing the police force to quell gambling activities over investigating deaths of unarmed civilians only shows the PNP’s misplaced sense of priority,” the senator said in a statement.
Binay added that there is “no point for police operatives to padlock non-operational betting stations”, saying that the main server of lotto outlets have already been shut down.
“Sa totoo lang, offline na lahat ng lotto outlets at na-shutdown na ang main servers noong Biyernes pa lang. Kaya, there’s no point for police operatives to padlock non-operational betting stations that are already out of business. Medyo overkill at OA na ‘yun,” Binay said.
“Please veer away from the theatrics. Let the full force of the law crush down on hardened criminals, drug lords, and murderers. Ano ba ang kailangan mas i-prioritize ng PNP–ang pag-padlock ng lotto outlets, o pagsugpo ng krimen? Place the highest priority on going after criminals,” the senator added.
READ: With shutdown of PCSO games, PNP urges public to report illegal gambling
Duterte on Friday night ordered all gaming activities of PCSO to be stopped amid the alleged “massive corruption” in the agency.
“I have today ordered the closure, the stoppage of all gaming schemes or whatever nature however done that got the franchises to do so from the PCSO. The ground is massive corruption involving all…pati the courts who repeatedly issued injunctions to paralyze government and to allow corruption to thrive,” Duterte said.
Following the orders of Duterte, PCSO on Saturday said it is suspending its gaming operations but added that it will appeal to Duterte the resumption of its activities for its beneficiaries.
Customers who have advanced playing tickets, meanwhile, are advised to keep their tickets until further notice.
PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, meanwhile, said closure notices have been issued to 5,187 lotto outlets; 13, 320 small town lottery (STL); 2,195 Peryahan ng Bayan (PNB); and 472 KENO. /je