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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tulfo issues challenge to GAB: 'Show me your accomplishments, or resign'

Tulfo issues challenge to GAB: 'Show me your accomplishments, or resign'

Published Oct 10, 2022 06:20 pm

Senator Raffy Tulfo has given the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) five months to present tangible results against the problem that is illegal gambling.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo (Photo from Facebook page)

During the Senate Committee on Finance budget hearing of GAB, Tulfo didn’t pull his punches when it came to questioning the agency about illegal gambling.

“Marami na pong buhay ng estudyante ang nasayang, nasira ang kanilang pag-aaral, natutong gumawa ng illegal, pumapasok sa kriminalidad (The lives of many students have been wasted. Their studies have been ruined, they’ve learned to commit illegal acts, and they have entered criminality)...Yet for so many years, GAB is not doing ‘s-h-i-t,’” Tulfo said during the Senate panel hearing on Monday, Oct. 10.

Tulfo says that he has not heard of any reports about the GAB being present during raids at illegal gambling joints and cockfighting pits or “tupada".

“Puro CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group), pati mga barangay tanod, pero yung GAB, nasaan (It's just the CIDG and sometimes even barangay tanods, but where is the GAB)?” the senator asked.

GAB Legal Division chief lawyer Ermar Benitez clarified that the GAB had also participated in raids against illegal gambling joints.

“Kasama po kami diyan sa pag-raid ng mga (We are present at the raids on) tupada...We are always in coordination with the CIDG, with the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Benitez said.

Benitez also explained that the GAB’s unit dedicated to investigating illegal gambling was not an organic one. “It is composed of the detailed personnel of the PNP, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation], and the CIDG.”

However, the broadcast personality-turned-senator was unsatisfied with their response and subsequently issued a challenge to the GAB.

“In the next few months, if wala kayong nahuli, at sa mga tupada hindi kayo kasama sa raid at puro pulis lang (if you have not caught anyone and you are not present at raids on illegal gambling joints alongside the police), will it be safe enough to tell you na lahat kayo dyan sa GAB ay inutil, therefore, isa-isa kayo magsi-resign (all of you in the GAB are useless, therefore, you should all resign one-by-one)? Tulfo said.

“In five months, show me something like an accomplishment na merong kayong nagawa (that you’ve done something) about this illegal gambling, if wala kayong nagawa in five months siguro di nyo ako masisisi kung tatawagin kong kayong lahat na inutil (if you haven’t done anything in five months then you can’t blame me for calling you all useless),” he ended.

Tulfo added that some of his younger family members had fallen prey to the negative effects of illegal gambling.

“Mga pamangkin ko, nalulong. Kumupit sa kanilang magulang, nagbenta ng mga ari-arian ng magulang, nagsanla ng mga sasakyan dahil lang sa ending na yan (My nieces and nephews got addicted. They stole from their parents, sold their belongings, and pawned off their vehicles because of that ending),” he bared before the panel.

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