New top cop Nicanor Bartolome urged to stop gambling, cyber crimes

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone on Saturday called on newly installed Philippine National Police Director Nicanor Bartolome to also address the problems of illegal gambling and cybercrimes.

“Illegal gambling is very rampant nationwide. It destroys the moral fiber of our society. It encourages laziness and promotes the wrong habit of relying on good luck,” Evardone said in a text message.

He said that all forms of gambling, including the illegal numbers game “jueteng,” should be stamped out in order to promote hard work among the populace.

He said the PNP should form an elite team to crack down on cybercrime syndicates as many households now had access to computers.

“Cybercrimes respect no borders and target the young and innocent,” he said.

In related news, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez has filed a proposal seeking to institutionalize the implementation of a cyber education program from elementary school to college.

Benitez said that House Bill No. 4993 would address the deteriorating quality of education in the country by utilizing information and communications technology (ICT) as a tool for achieving higher standards of learning for students.

The bill seeks to create a Cyber Education Development and Management Corp. (CyberEd) which shall be the principal policymaking, planning and coordinating entity in the implementing government programs related to cyber education.

The measure says that CyberEd Corp. shall formulate a program for cyber education planning, research and development and monitoring of activities in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. A nationwide Internet network would also be established to connect the 17 regional network nodes in the country.

“This will provide 100-percent Internet and intra-net connectivity to all public elementary and secondary schools and state universities and colleges and using up-to-date ICT,” Benitez said.