Gov't priority is gambling not national dev't - Roco

The Estrada administration has failed to prepare a road map for Philippine development because it is more interested in pushing for the development of gambling, Sen. Raul Roco charged yesterday.

Roco said in his radio program "Aksyon: Roco at Raul" that after almost two years, the administration still did not have any definite direction.

He attributed this to the administration's alleged concentration on the development of gambling activities.

Very recently, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Chairman Rosario Lopez and some police officers met with known jueteng lords purportedly to determine how this illegal numbers game operates.

This clandestine meeting was immediately seen by opposition congressmen as a move by the administration to legalize jueteng.

The administration has already allowed the operation of jai alai games and on-line bingo, aside from the daily multiple draws of lotto.

Roco said that the Philippines would never develop a tiger economy as long as the administration gives more premium to luck than to industry.

"The grandest welcome ever given by the administration was for a gambler from Macau, Stanley Ho. Ho's arrival also created a stir at the stock exchange," Roco said.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona said that the Estrada administration should not claim credit for the increase in the dollar reserves from $7 billion to $15 billion.

"The increase is due to foreign borrowings and remittances from overseas contract workers, not from increased exports," Guingona said.

He lamented that smuggling continued "unabated" in the country and charged that this was possible only with the connivance of those in power.

Guingona reiterated his personal call for the resignation of President Estrada "before the situation worsens."

Sen. Francisco Tatad, on the other hand, said that the Philippines under the Estrada administration was actually making strides, as he predicted a rosier future for the country, especially with the advent of information technology.

"Businessmen are interested in generating long-term profits. The world economy is changing into one driven by information technology -- and the Philippines is now second only to India in IT exports," Tatad contended.

He said that a roller-coaster popularity was experienced by all administrations, not just Estrada's.

"We should look at the country as a whole and not just at the popularity of the President. We are not disabled, everything is moving," Tatad asserted.