Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
IT seems illegal gambling can no longer be considered a victimless crime.Last Sunday an agent of the Small Town Lottery, or STL, was gunned down as she stood just outside an STL outlet in Cotabato City.Rizia Mae Pardillo, just 24 years old, was shot in the head by a lone gunman with a 9 mm pistol in front of an STL outlet in Malagapas Street, Rosary Heights 10 in Cotabato City. With a shot to the temple, the gunman made sure she would not make it to hospital.While the suspect has yet to be identified and the motive still to be determined, a source said Pardillo's killing could be the work of an illegal gambling operator whose operation was being affected by the STL.But why an STL agent? The source said it was not a simple assassination. The objective was to send a message to the STL operator and other legal gaming outlets: Don't mess with the illegal gambling lords.Actually, a bigger question arises. Why does illegal gambling continue to proliferate despite the non-stop campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to put an end to its operation? Or so they claim.The PNP slogan is "To serve and to protect." But here, we have an agent of a legitimate gaming operation being murdered. If only the PNP had made good on its vow to put an end to illegal gambling operations, Pardillo would still be alive today. Unfortunately, it failed, it failed to serve and protect Pardillo. It failed to serve and protect legitimate gaming operators. Baka naman may proteksyon sina lord.Pardillo may be the first casualty among legitimate gaming operators allegedly perpetrated by an illegal gambling lord. But she won't be the last if the PNP will not take its campaign against illegal gambling seriously. In that case, it will eventually fail to serve and protect the people.* * *What's so special about Grab?Even as the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) is still being pilot-tested, with the issuance of franchises still pending before Congress, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has reportedly granted additional slots for Grab driver-delivery.This was after Anthony Tan, the Malaysian co-founder-CEO of Singapore-registered Grab, dazzled officials in a recent call on the President. His business expansion will supposedly generate 500,000 jobs.Not only is LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz usurping the powers of Congress, which is the only body empowered to grant franchises, but he could also be violating the Constitution which limits transport utilities to Filipinos.Grab's entry into the TNVS business is actually questionable. A Congress technical working group in 2019 allowed three two-wheel participants to participate in the pilot test — JoyRide, Angkas and MoveIt (We Load Transcargo). Grab reportedly opted out at the last minute.Months later, MoveIt and Grab combined to use the latter's app. However, the TWG ordered MoveIt to run on its own.But in August 2022, Grab informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had acquired 99.8 percent of MoveIt.Still, it doesn't comply with constitutional requirements.So, how can Guadiz justify allocating additional slots to Grab?I believe Congress should step into this.
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