Pati ba naman sa lotto, may price increase?

From ABS-CBN News:

PCSO to jack up prices of lotto bets

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office will increase the minimum lotto bet to P20 effective August 15, ABS-CBN News reported Tuesday.

Arnel Casas, assistant manager of PCSO’s Central Operation Department, said the price adjustment will only affect the “jackpot-bearing” games including 6/42, 6/45, and 6/49.

Casas said the PCSO intends to double the jackpot prize of the three numbers games as well as double the charity contributions of the department.

He said the PCSO has been deliberating on the price increase since the games were first introduced on March 8, 1995.

The increase, meanwhile, raised speculations of a boom in the numbers racket “jueteng” once the price adjustment takes effect.

Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio said the numbers racket is the Filipinos’ cheaper alternative to lotto. He said people can place jueteng bets for as low as P1.

The government created lotto to combat the increasing popularity of jueteng. The numbers racket was partly blamed for President Joseph Estrada’s downfall in 2001 after he allegedly pocketed millions of pesos in jueteng payola.

Members of President Arroyo’s family were also linked to jueteng operations in the country but a Senate investigation into the issue proved fruitless after several witnesses recanted.

Casas downplayed the possible resurgence of jueteng after the lotto price adjustment.

“Meron naman kaming EZ 2. Iyon po ang pantapat sa jueteng. Hindi po nagbago ang presyo (We have the EZ 2 game. This game was created to compete with jueteng. The game’s minimum bet [remains P10]),” he explained.

Aside from EZ 2, Casas said the PCSO is currently studying the expansion of small-time lottery (STL) into other provinces. He said the STL game is still in the experimental stage.

Various sectors, including bishops groups, have openly protested the government’s introduction of the STL game. Reports said the STL game is being used by big-time gambling operators as front for their jueteng operations.

What’s next? Poll tax?

John Nery asked what is the best political insult?

I will not answer the question because (1) it is a question of history, and is never the subject of most history books; and (2) like everything else, the answer will always be relative, ie. how the insult affects the receiver of the attack.

Instead I submit that a good politician will never be affected by such. Number one, it should not concern one if the insult is false. Number two, an insult is always an ad hominem, and as such, is meaningless in the exchange of ideas.

How do you deal with an insult? This is supposed to be a dilemma: if you react furiously, people will tend to see you as guilty; if you don’t even react to it, people tend to see that silence as proof of guilt.

An insult is issued to provoke, to force someone to react.

React if you must, but make it a dignified one.

PS: How do you deal with insults?

PPS: Miriam Santiago called the members of the House of Representatives as “talakitok”. Now that his son is a congressman, I wonder if the appellation still applies, or she would use a collective modifier. Now, I am waiting for Miriam die hards for their wonderful comments (sample some of them here).

First, it’s rule by law. Now, it is skirting the law.

The Supreme Court has ordered the Executive Department, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police to produce Jonas Burgos at the Court of Appeals yesterday. As expected, no Burgos was produced. And most expectedly, the summoned people did not even bother dignifying the Court order with a written reply,

Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Calderon, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (Isafp), Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, 7th Infantry Division head Maj. Gen. Juanito Gomez, Lt. Col. Noel Clement of the Escort and Security Battalion, and 56th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano – all of them proved to the entire nation who is in command and who is in power. All of them snubbed the Court; the Emperor had sent his own lawyer, the others represented by an assistant solicitor-general. They snubbed the Court because they know they will get away with it.

And they did.

The main argument that the solicitor-general has employed is the standard AFP reply – they cannot produce Burgos because they don’t have him. Circumstantial evidences will point out that this is false. Cases in point:

1. The car that was used in the abduction was found in a military camp.
2. The AFP had conducted an investigation, but like the Mayuga Report, it will not release the findings, “for confidential reasons.”
3. General Tolentino has branded Burgos as a member of the New People’s Army.

Maybe they did had Burgos, but he was long dead.

Maybe the NPA has Burgos, in an attempt to undermine the AFP. But how come the AFP and the PNP have not said anything in this line? And why are they not investigating this? Why can’t they declare an all-out war against the NPA?

Also, giving Gloria Arroyo a dose of her own medicine, let us cite some numbers. I will quote Jhay Rocas here:

874 cases of human rights violations, 99, 011 individual victims, 14, 302 families in 288 communities, 282 victims of extra-judicial killings, 69 victims of massacres, 147 victims of forced disappearances…

Bangit complains that he and the AFP are maligned. Prove, Mr. General, that you have not done anything. Prove by apprehending and putting into justice the perpetrators of these crimes. But can you? Will you?

Rule by law: using the law to your means. Skirting the law: using loopholes to get away from law. Both are legacies of the Arroyo administration.

What I am afraid of is that the AFP indeed have Burgos in their custody, and they are defying every institution there is, and is undermining the Judiciary, the last institution that the Arroyo administration has not corrupted/destroyed/compromised. Yet.

In a blog post, The Purple Phoenix thinks that Jamby Madrigal is angling for the presidency at 2010. I had commented that I will vote for Madrigal if she will put up reward money (minimum of 3 million pesos) to anyone who can positively point where Burgos is, among other conditions I had posted in the said comment.

Impunity n.

1. Freedom from punishment of any kind.

2. A legal reward given for terrorist actions, when they are carried out by the State. (emphasis mine)

Not the best that I could think of.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Senate President and Senators of the Republic, Mr. Speaker and members of the House of Representatives, Mr. Chief Justice and justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Cabinet, Your Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, mga kababayan:

First let me congratulate all the winners of the previous elections. I would like to mention Senator DayaNa Zooberry – he held on despite the rumormongering by the opposition. The truth was out and has proven the opposition wrong. The people have spoken and I call on Senator Zooberry’s critics to accept the people’s will and give him a chance to prove himself.

The 2007 elections has proven that this administration has the support of the people. The people have shown support by electing two-thirds of administration candidates for the House. The people have chosen to have an administration-dominated Senate. Those who believe otherwise are sore losers, and I suggest they get psychiatric health.

It has been three years since the Filipino people have overwhelmingly elected me as President. I am proud to say that I have delivered on my promises, and today I want to report on what I have accomplished and what this administration will do for the next three years.

Again, we delivered as promised when it comes to the economy. We have raised taxes, and thus we had a remarkable tax collection figures. When the tax collection fell against target, we fired the tax chief to show government officials that we mean business. Also, we want to prove to the business people that every government official is accountable. This administration will also like to show that it protects those who are performing well.

The stock market is growing and the Philippine peso is in its highest since seven years ago, signs that our economy is improving. I would like to credit the 40,000 out of 80 million Filipinos who invest in the Philippine Stock Exchange; they are the true Filipino patriots. Credit should also be given to the new heroes, the overseas Filipino workers, whose remittances keep our peso afloat. I also commend the Central Bank for intervening in the foreign exchange market to prop up the national currency.

I commend the 13th Congress for passing one of the most important piece of legislation of the century – the Human Security Act. Some people are afraid of this law. I say this – only those who are enemies of the State should be afraid of this law. The law is crafted specifically to deter enemies of the State from committing acts of terror.

As for those who fears that this administration will use this law against the opposition – fear not. The Anti-Terrorism Council oversees the implementation of this law, and it is composed of sane individuals. Unless you are declared enemies of the State, you have nothing to fear.

However, this should not be an excuse for the opposition to destabilize the country. This administration will not hesitate in using the Human Security Act to protect the people from destabilization.

We will continue building bridges and roads through the efforts of the congressmen. Whatever your province, your town, your district needs – ask your congressman, and it will be done.

Mga kababayan: There is nothing that we cannot do if we stand united. Let’s stop opposing and instead work together. Let’s move on. Thank you.

I am calling for reader participation. Write one paragraph in the comments about what you think the So Sorry State of the Nation Address should contain. It can be humorous, it can be sarcastic, it can be straight to the point, as long as it is not porn nor full of expletives.

Also, if you have written an alternative State of the Nation Address, leave the link at the comments.

RELATED READING:

State of the Nation
State Of The Nation’s Distress
Measure SONA against this
What’s the real state of the nation?