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MANILA — Pasig City has passed an ordinance disallowing the issuance of permits for online gambling companies, citing the local government’s mandate to “protect the social and moral welfare of the community.”

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto told ANC’s Headstart that gambling has many negative effects especially when one is already addicted to it.

“Ang daming masamang epekto nito. Ang daming masamang naidudulot ang mga establisyimentong ito,” he said.

“Wala naman tayong kakilala na pumasok sa e-bingo at lumabas na mas maganda ang buhay niya. Lahat yan, sumama ang buhay, may mga nalulong sa sugal,” he said.

There was one case where a mother pawned her child to pay off her gambling debts, Sotto said.

“It was actually 4 times. Natubos niya tapos 4 times siya nangyari. Our city social welfare department was really on to the case… Nahuli naman yung gumawa,” he said.

“Kawawa iyong tatay, pag-uwi niya galing trabaho o kung saan man siya galing, nagulat siya wala na yung anak nila,” he said.

“Because of this, siguro wake up call na hindi lang tayo basta may panukala pero itong panukala na ito ay kailangan natin ng sense of urgency,” he said.

The ordinance - signed a few days before Christmas - covers online casinos, online sabong, e-bingo, and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) based in Pasig City.

Affected businesses will be allowed to {renew their business permits during the January 2023 renewal period,” but will only be valid until December 31, 2023.

“Fair tayo. Alam natin na namuhunan din sila. Hindi naman, ‘Bukas, sarado na kayo.’ We will do it fairly, sa paraang makatao pa rin,” the mayor said.

“By the end of 2023, they will have to stop operations.”

Pasig, Metro Manila’s 4th richest city, is expected to lose at least P3 million in annual revenue from online gambling facilities, Sotto said.

“Considering all the social ills and the negative effects, that is a very small price to pay for the city,” he said, noting that job losses are not expected to be significant.

“For us, this is not about the revenue that the city can or will get. This is about preventing the social ills in the first place.”

The ordinance focused on online gambling because there are no big gambling dens in Pasig City, Sotto said.

“Yung mga e-games, e-bingo, yan talaga yung marami sa lungsod ng Pasig at ito yung marami tayong kuwento na naririnig na ang daming buhay na nasisira so doon tayo mafo-focus,” he said.

“So why don’t we get to the root of the problem. Wala namang indibidwal na pumasok sa ganitong klaseng proyekto na pag labas niya, gumanda yung buhay niya,” he said.

“Puwedeng nanalo isang beses, dalawang beses, tatlong beses, but pag tiningnan natin yung pangkalahatan, wala naman talagang nananalo dito,” he added.

The Pasig City police has also been working to apprehend street-side gamblers, the mayor said.

Online gambling has also become a “symbol of corruption” in Pasig, Sotto said.

“Kasi tuwing magrerenew sila, may lumalapit na konsehal, sasabihin sa akin, ‘Mayor, may nag-aalok ng ganito, ganiyan.’ Sasabihin ko, ‘Hindi ba hindi tayo tumatanggap ng ganiyan?’” he said.

“Pero pag nakatalikod na ako, hindi ko na alam kung ano na na ang nangyayari but the (bribery) figure is in the millions of pesos per year and we want that to stop,” he said.

“We want to combat the social ills but we also want to get rid of the symbol of corruption in Pasig City.”

Violators of the ordinance may be required to pay a P5,000 fine and/or be imprisoned up to one year.

While the ordinance addresses the demand side of the gambling problem, Sotto admitted that the city government must also work to provide proper intervention for those who are already addicted to gambling.

“I admit that is a very difficult thing to do… Kailangan din talaga ng interventions and I believe this is something that we can improve at,” he said.

“They go through counseling. They go through the interventions from our CSWD… We should improve on that.”