Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts | ABS-CBN

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Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts

Fil-Am Nevada judge hopes PH adopts gambling treatment courts

Bev Llorente | TFC News Las Vegas,

Nevada

 | 

Updated Oct 26, 2021 04:45 PM PHT

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A year after the Las Vegas Strip was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic, the glitzy lights of casinos have roared back to life with record breaking earnings.

In July alone, they grossed $1.36 billion, as tourists from around the world flocked to the gambling capital of the world. But for many who play games of chance, gambling can turn into a problematic addiction.

The National Council on Problem Gambling says that 15 percent of Americans gamble at least once per week, with Nevada having the highest prevalence of problem gambling in the country.

Retired Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss
Retired Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss says whether it's in the Philippines or the US, gambling addiction is a public concern.

Retired family court Fil-Am judge Cheryl Moss established and presided in the first Gambling Treatment Diversion Court in Nevada. It's a specialty court that offers a second chance for offenders whose charges stem from gambling.

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"There's a huge explosion of gaming and with that, we need to make sure that there is proper prevention advocacy and education about responsible gambling," Moss argued. "But if there are those that are truly afflicted and they end up in court, then that's where I come in and educate on how the state can get gambling courts or some type of treatment diversion program in their states. It would save the state's money. Instead of housing them in prison, where they're not gonna get any treatment, it would also rehabilitate them to become productive citizens again."

Moss believes rehabilitation, not incarceration, is the solution to gambling problems. She also noted gambling is "an addiction that is associated with stigma and shame. A lot of them don't want to admit that they have a problem. They don't know they have a problem. But they already spent all of their savings and they're gonna end up homeless. Where are they gonna go? Or some of them are being chased by their bookies so their lives could be threatened."

Moss wants to bring gambling treatment courts to the Philippines. She stressed whether it's in the Philippines or in the United States, gambling addiction is a public concern.

"We are not anti-gaming. We are for responsible gambling," Moss clarified. "We are also for prevention and education because it's an entertainment industry but there's that 1 to 2 percent that could get hooked on gambling... Gambling does not discriminate. It could be a casino worker, lawyer, nurse, [or] construction worker."

Moss hopes that whoever will be elected Philippine president in the 2022 polls will consider this type of gambling treatment in the country. "They need to address the problem before it gets worse because what they do, if you are a gambling addict, you might turn to crime. Crime rates are gonna go up. Because you are gonna steal money to fuel gambling addiction. So it's not about the money in the mind of the gambler, it's the need for action."

New York was the first US state that set up a gambling treatment court. Moss says New Jersey is on its way to becoming the third.

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Lawyer asks SC to direct Senate to proceed with Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Lawyer asks SC to direct Senate to proceed with Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated Feb 15, 2025 05:22 PM PHT

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MANILA — A lawyer has filed petition for mandamus before the Supreme Court to seek a court order for the Senate to immediately act on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In the petition filed Friday, lawyer Catalino Generillo Jr. asked the high court to issue a writ of mandamus so that senators will immediately constitute themselves into an impeachment court and “forthwith” conduct a public trial, following the filing of the impeachment case by the House of Representatives.  

Duterte has denied allegations, including of irregularities in how confidential funds allocated to her office were used, and has attributed the proceedings against her to partisan politics.

Lawyers, including a senator and a former Supreme Court associate justice, have said the Supreme Court may have to rule on issues related to the impeachment, including how soon "forthwith" after receiving the articles of impeachment that the Senate should convene for trial.

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Generillo said in the petition that senators “are not suffering from any kind of disability, physical or mental" that would keep them from convening an impeachment court and "forthwith conduct public trial to determine whether the Vice President is guilty or not."

Congress is on break and the Senate went into recess without discussing the articles of impeachment that the House of Representatives adopted and transmitted on the last day of session.

Generillo stressed that the Constitution used the word "forthwith," which means "immediately," "at once," "instantly," "straight away",  in its provision on impeachment.

Former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has said he does not believe the SC can compel the Senate to act on the impeachment case.

Sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives are set to resume after the midterm elections and Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero has said trial might start in July.

Generilla said in his petitions that he believes the Constitution does not allow the Senate to “procrastinate” during the period it is on recess.

Escudero has said the articles of impeachment have to be checked and verified before inclusion on the Senate's agenda.

He has also said House members should not try to push the Senate to act on allegations that it took district and party-list representatives months to decide to impeach Duterte for.

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