NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 5 March) – Gambling is indubitably corrupting and addicting. It can drive one to cheat, to steal and to engage in other deceitful acts and crimes to sustain the vice. Gambling undermines the moral fiber of the people.
Because of its disastrous impact on the values and productive capacity of the people, gambling in all forms, has been outlawed since the communist took power in China in 1949, except in its administrative regions that enjoy some amount of political autonomy.
It’s difficult to understand why the Philippine government allowed the flood of Chinese gamblers to our country sheltered in what is legitimately established Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (Pogo). Pogo nests are now in different parts of the country. Pogo workers do not only gamble but are here, accordingly, to launder drug money, traffic women, run prostitution dens, and engaged in other illicit activities. And these criminals even settled their dispute by murdering each other right here in our front yard.
The government showed again its decadent moral compass for the blind negligence, unconcern, and inaction to what is happening in our midst.
The government open-legs policy to China has spawned all these problems. Chinese nationals enter freely the country sans any documentation. They secure their visa only upon arrival at port of entry. The practice corrupts the Bureau of Immigration. That’s why we have the Pastillas, to add to the string of scandalous corruption that is drowning the nation without respite – the phenomenal drug smuggling scandal at BOC, the Good time Allowance for sale in BUCOR, and the ninja cops drug recycling trade, among others.
It is estimated that undocumented Chinese nationals practicing their nefarious trades all over the country have already reached half a million and is spiking even in the advent of coronavirus. It’s disclosed that some $370 million had been brought illegally to the country, the whereabouts of which is beyond the radar of the authorities. Needless to say, this huge amount of unknown origin may compromise the economy.
Moreover, the Chinese militias aka fishers continue to exploit, without qualms, our fishery resources in West Philippine Sea. Furthermore, Chinese military aircrafts have reportedly been landing in Davao whose cargoes had never been disclosed. And Chinese naval vessels traverse our territorial waters sans prior passage permit.
The Chinese have successfully invaded the country.
It’s a shame that all this is happening under the watch of an all-knowing President who vowed to stamp out corruption and criminality and protect and assert the sovereignty of the county.
Clearly, the open-legs policy of DU30 to China gambles the country away.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines.)
