The Civil Service Commission (CSC) of the Philippines recently made a strong appeal to Congress during a House Appropriations Committee meeting to push for legislation that completely bans government officials from participating in any form of online gambling activities, especially during work hours.
CSC Chair Marilyn Barua-Yap pointed out that although current regulations already prohibit civil servants from entering physical casinos during work hours, the proliferation of online gambling and POGO online platforms has made it difficult to effectively monitor the online gambling activities of civil servants.
During the meeting, Johanne Monich Bautista, a representative from the Trabaho party group, questioned whether the CSC had taken specific measures to strengthen the monitoring and management of civil servants' online gambling activities. Barua-Yap responded that the commission is considering expanding the scope of the existing ban through legislative means to ensure it covers all forms of gambling, both online and offline.
She stated that the CSC will propose recommendations based on the study results to promote the enactment of corresponding laws, thereby effectively preventing civil servants from indulging in online gambling, safeguarding government credibility and administrative efficiency, and implementing clear disciplinary actions against violations.
Analysts believe that if the law is passed, civil servants will not only be strictly prohibited from participating in online gambling during work hours but their online gambling activities during leisure time may also be restricted. This initiative has attracted widespread public attention. Many opinions suggest that the issue of online gambling within the civil service system poses a potential risk and urgently needs to be thoroughly curbed through legislation to prevent their participation in gambling on platforms like POGO during their tenure.
