Palace reminds gov't employees not to engage in gambling

Malacañang on Wednesday reminded government officials and employees not to engage in any forms of gambling. 

This came after former Bulacan 1st district engineer Henry Alcantara had admitted that he used an alias and a fake ID to enter a casino. 

According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro, the decision on Alcantara's case would depend on Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon. 

''Alam po nila iyan, hindi na po sila dapat pagsabihan. Kahit po iyong online gambling, hindi pupuwede iyon, bawal po iyon. So, malalaki na po sila, responsibilidad nila iyan na dapat matino silang public official,'' Castro said. 

(They should know it already. Even online gambling is not allowed. They're grown-ups, it's their responsibility to be good public officials.)

Alcantara is the district engineer linked to several anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.

In a separate House hearing on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the gambling activities of some government officials and employees were also discussed.
PAGCOR revealed that this year alone, P180 million worth of winnings from casino players were kept because they were discovered to be government employees.

Under the Administrative Code of 1987, government employees are prohibited from gambling.

Government officials and employees are also prohibited from entering a casino under Memorandum Circular No. 6 series of 2016 of the Office of the President. —VAL, GMA Integrated News