Marcos to study calls on banning online gambling
During a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for reaction on the call of Senator Raffy Tulfo to totally ban online gambling.
Castro said this matter should be dealt thoroughly as this will affect the Philippine economy and the residents as well.
''Ang mga pagpapasyang ganito po ay talagang pinag-aaralan kung ito ba'y makakaapekto sa ekonomiya, makaapekto sa mamamayan at hindi po tayo maaring magpadalos-dalos po dito,'' Castro said.
(Decisions like this are really being studied to see if they will affect the economy, affect the people, and we cannot rush into this.)
''Dahil minsan po, kapag po mismo ang legal at license ng mga online gaming sites ang iyong iba-ban, mas dumadami ang mga illegal na online gaming sites at iyan po ay mas nakakaapekto sa ekonomiya, so pinag-aaralan po iyan ng Pangulo,'' she added.
(Because sometimes, when you ban legal and licensed online gaming sites, the number of illegal online gaming sites increases and that has a greater impact on the economy, so the President is studying that.)
Earlier, online gaming operators licensed with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) expressed opposition over proposals for a total ban on online gambling in the country.
They warned that Filipinos might shift to unregulated sites on the black market.
In a joint statement, the companies said they 'are standing united with the PAGCOR and 'forward-thinking' lawmakers to call for stronger regulation — not a total ban — to keep Filipino players safe and the country's economy thriving.
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers including Negros Occidental Representative Javi Benitez and Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon are pushing for stricter regulations instead of a total ban.
Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla filed House Bill 1351, seeking to limit access to online gambling or the Kontra e-Sugal Act. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
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Former vice president and incumbent Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo said the move of her allies Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan to reach out for more allies is not betrayal but a way to strengthen the fight for reforms. In a podcast interview, Robredo said Aquino and Pangilinan won big in Eleksyon 2025 because they were not quick to dismiss people who share their belief of improving Filipinos' quality of life despite disagreements with other parties on some issues. "Sa atin lang, if we fight right, may chance tayo. Gaya ng ginawa nila Senator Bam (Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan), kung gusto natin manalo, kailangan mas lawakan natin iyong space natin para sa dissenting views. 'Yung support pa din ng base [ang nagdala]. Pero more than that, 'yung strategy din na in-employ nila," Robredo said. (If we fight right, we have a chance. Just like what Senators Bam and Kiko did. They allowed space for those with dissenting views. The base delivered for them, but on top of that, it was this strategy that they employed that delivered.) "Hindi sila naging purist, mas naging pragmatic na klaro sa isip na kailangan itong ipanalo. Maraming desisyon na ginagawa kami for Bam and Kiko. 'Yung feeling ng iba na parang naging traitor na agad for the cause, pero actually necessary siya para makatawid. Parang nag-pay off naman in the end. They did what needs to be done na without sacrificing their principles," Robredo said in a recent episode of The Linya Linya Show podcast. (They were not purists, they were pragmatic and had a clear mind that the victory was needed. A lot of decisions were made for them, and some felt it was a betrayal of the cause, but actually it was necessary and paid off in the end. They did what needs to be done without sacrificing their principles.) 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It's like a married couple, neither are perfect individuals but because you love each other, you give each other space.) Robredo said reforms can only be achieved when genuine public servants are elected into office, and that even allies have different moves to play so that competent ones are voted into office by the public. "Halimbawa, [kung] ang paniniwala ko dapat inaatake talaga natin lahat ng kalaban. Okay naman iyon, pero irespeto mo rin iyong paniniwala ng iba na ang tingin nila hindi 'yan ang way, ang tingin nila mas effective itong [ibang paraan]. We each have roles to play. Merong tumitira, merong nagdidiplomasya, some strategize, but we all work together," Robredo said. (If one believes that we should criticize on all enemies, then that is fine. But that person should also respect other allies who might think of a different approach. We each have roles to play. Some criticize, some use diplomacy, some strategize, but we all work together.) "'Yung nakita ko kasi sa iba nating kasama hindi gan'un e. Kung ako tumitira, gusto ko lahat tayo tumitira. Hindi naiintindihan [iyong roles eh]. Mahihirapan tayo na wala tayong espasyo para don sa mga hindi eksakto sa paniniwala natin," she added. (I've seen that some of our colleagues are not like this. For them, if I criticize, I want all of us to criticize. The individual roles are not understood. It will be very hard for us if we are not going to allow space for people who do not share our beliefs to the letter.) Kiko's promise In a separate statement, Pangilinan echoed Robredo that reaching out to more allies is betrayal of the cause. "I have not turned my back on my principles. I hope that those who support me will understand that I have a promise to keep: to bring down the prices of food and strengthen the agricultural sector. Tanging ito, at hindi ang pansariling interes, ang magiging basehan ng aking magiging pasya sa July 28 kung sa minorya ba o sa mayorya tayo lulugar," Pangilinan said. (This is my sole promise—not personal interest— which will be the basis of my upcoming decision on July 28 if I will side with the minority or majority.) "Many elected officials do not take their own campaign promises seriously and forget about them when elected. I am not that kind of elected official. My word is my honor. In the end, my final decision on the 28th will be guided by the above mentioned considerations. As I seek to understand those who disagree with me, I pray and humbly seek to be understood as well," Pangilinan added. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
