SEN. Raffy Tulfo yesterday urged the Games and Amusement Board to utilize its confidential funds and run after game fixers in the sports industry, specifically professional basketball, to put a stop to the illegal activity.
Tulfo, during the Committee on Sports hearing to tackle the proposed Anti-Gaming Fixing Act, said the GAB should be the lead agency in stopping game fixing, but apparently, no one has been arrested despite numerous reports on the illegal activity.
Tulfo asked the GAB if it has ever arrested even a single person involved in gaming fixing, to which Atty. Richard Santos Clarin said the agency has not recorded an arrest of game fixers.
Tulfo told Clarin to use the agency’s confidential funds to stop game-fixing.
Every year you are given confidential funds…Why not use it where there are rampant irregularities? In this case, basketball. You do not have a fix in other sports as you are more focused on basketball,” he added.
The GAB has P4 million in confidential funds for this year, according to Tulfo’s office.
Clarin said that it is very hard to gather evidence against game-fixing since no one would like to come out in the open to tell all.
He said once they receive reports of game fixing, the GAB coordinates with the concerned organization or league for an investigation.
Clarin said the GAB has suspended 31 basketball players from 2021 to date involved in game fixing, most of them from a minor professional basketball league.
He said the GAB has also received 32 complaints against basketball players from 2021 to January this year.
The committee conducted its first hearing on the proposed measures filed by Tulfo and Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Ramon Revilla Jr., Mark Villar. A counterpart measure was already passed on third and final reading at the House of Representatives.
