Gov’t hypocrisy and the attack on Resorts World

The deadly incident last June 2 at Resorts World Manila (RWM) trains the spotlight on an appalling hypocrisy that has smeared previous administrations and continues to taint the incumbent.

The incident caused the deaths of 37 people because of suffocation resulting from the fire ignited by Jessie Carlos, the lone assailant. Carlos barged into the hotel casino bearing an assault rifle, set on fire several gambling tables, stole casino chips worth millions of pesos, engaged policemen and security guards in a shoot-out, and subsequently committed suicide inside a hotel room.

Carlos was described by police authorities as a high-roller gambler. His own family disclosed that he was “heavily indebted due to being hooked on casino gambling.” He was said to hold “a bank account with an outstanding debt of P4 million and several other nonbank-related debts.”

Because of his addiction to gambling, Carlos was forced to sell his car as well as real estate, among others. Because of his gambling debts, his wife separated from him and his parents distanced themselves from him.

Widespread condemnation continues to be heaped on Carlos because of his outrageous act of insanity. His offense led to the loss of innocent lives and caused tremendous damage to the Philippines’ world image as a safe haven for business and as a secure destination for tourists. And because the RWM incident happened while the bloody battle to retake Marawi City from terrorists was ongoing (and still is), it stoked fears that terrorism had come to roost right in the heart of our capital city, just across from the international airport and in the vicinity even of a major military camp.

Carlos deserved scorn and anger for his dastardly act. But far more scorn and anger must be heaped on the government for its repugnant policy of encouraging gambling all over the country. State-sponsored gambling has ruined thousands of lives and destroyed countless families. Every single one of these ruined lives is a version of Jessie Carlos’ life.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. brags that its gambling revenues are increasing every year, with P47 billion in gross earnings in 2015 alone. On top of that, licensed private casinos generate gambling revenues even bigger than the government’s share. These casino revenues are apart from the billion-peso earnings of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office generated from lotto and small town lottery operations.

These billions are squeezed from the blood, sweat and tears of mostly ordinary citizens whose predisposition to gambling as a form of addiction is preyed upon by the government through a shameless policy of unhampered public access to casinos.

The government’s use of gambling revenues to fund health and social service programs can never deodorize the stench of destroyed lives and ruined families.

If there is anything good to be said about the Marcos dictatorship, it is that it tightly restricted public access to casinos. If there is anything bad to be said about the Noynoy Aquino administration, it is that it presided over a period of exponential growth in the casino industry. The Duterte administration must stop this madness of state-sponsored destruction of people’s lives as a despicable scheme to filch wealth from them.

If President Duterte is enraged by illegal drugs because they cause an addiction that destroys lives, why does he embrace an equally abhorrent addiction that similarly destroys lives?

Early this year Mr. Duterte declared that after his war on drugs, the next stage of his anticrime campaign would be a war on illegal gambling. Make no mistake then. The government does not intend to eradicate gambling. It intends to monopolize gambling and to crown itself as the only gambling lord in the country.

Is the government out to breed Jessie Carlos clones among its own people?

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