After drugs, illegal gambling is next

After launching an all-out war against illegal drugs, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II  said the Duterte administration would next pounce on illegal gambling nationwide.

“I was mandated by the President to conduct an investigation and verify the status of our small time lottery,” Aguirre said in a recent interview with reporters.

He said the Duterte administration  had to prioritize the war on narcotics “to prevent illegal gambling syndicates from shifting to illegal drugs.”

Rampant

Various forms of illegal gambling such as “jueteng” (a numbers racket) are rampant in many provinces.

Aguirre said Mr. Duterte issued the instruction last week “following the initial salvo against (illegal) drugs.”

Investigate

He said the Department of Justice was coordinating with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and small time lottery operators to investigate illegal gambling across the country.

He said Mr. Duterte had tasked him to submit a report and recommendation on illegal gambling.

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