Police Brigadier General Domingo Cabillan, Deputy Regional Director for Administration of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7, said that they have filed the case of PD 1602 after they have. Signed on June 11, 1978. MALACAANG Manila PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1602 PRESCRIBING STIFFER PENALTIES ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING. WHEREAS, Philippine Gambling Laws such as Articles 195-199 of the Revised Penal Code (Forms of Gambling and Betting), R.A. 3063 (Horse racing Bookies), P.D. 449 (Cockfighting), P.D. 483 (Game Fixing), P.D. 510 (Slot Machines) in relation to Opinion Nos. 33 and 97 of the.
Philippine Presidential Decree No. 1602 is a Philippine gambling law enacted by then-President Ferdinand Marcos on June 11th, 1978. This Presidential Decree implemented harsh penalties for the individuals participating and hosting illegal gaming activities. It was believed at the time that more stringent penalties for violations would reduce the number of illegal gambling operations.
Creation of Presidential Decree No. 1602
PD No. 1602 was considered a necessary law created by the Philippine President in conjunction with the Philippine Government to create a gambling law which would establish and enforce severe penalties for illegal gambling. The legislation was necessary to also clarify permissible gambling games and simplified the country’s gambling laws as several Presidential Decrees regarding individual games were made.
Primarily the need to curb illegal gambling operations which continued in the Philippines created PD No. 1602. The Presidential Decree updated previously made gambling laws and established a cohesive framework.
PD No. 1602 Specifics
Section 1 of PD No. 1602 detailed the penalty for those caught directly or indirectly participating in illegal wagering such as fines ranging from 500 pesos to 2,000 pesos for first-time offenders to 1,000 pesos to 6,000 pesos for repeat offenders. The law included a list of illegal games to be operated by an unlicensed individual. The Decree also detailed provisions for location hosts of these illegal games punishing them with a fine of 6,000 pesos and potential jail time.
Interestingly enough, the law also included penalties for illegal games operated by a Government employee likely to tackle any corruption within the Government’s ranks. The Presidential Decree also lists that any bangary official whose jurisdiction is caught with an illegal gambling operation of which they have gained a reputation for will face prison time and a fine of 500 to 2,000 pesos, as well as, temporary suspension from his post.
The intention of PD No. 1602
The Philippine Government explained that PD No. 1602 would curb the “social menace which consistently drained the energy and resources of the people” that was illegal, unregulated illegitimate gambling operations.
Presidential Decree No. 1602 only targeted existing laws and unlawful gambling operations in the Philippines. This Philippine gambling law created criminal provisions and made penalties for violations more effective. This Presidential Decree supported the domestic legal market in the country and encouraged legal gambling within casinos and clubs. Essentially, PD No. 1602 pushed illegal gambling out of favor by making it a risk to participate in and operate due to enforceable penalties.
No provisions within PD 1602 affect online gambling markets simply because the Presidential Decree is older than the introduction of the internet to the Philippines. This means that legitimate Philippine online casinos are unaffected by this gambling law.
Issues With PD No. 1602
PD No. 1602 face some minor scrutiny for rewarding informants of illegal gambling operations, which lead to successful arrests. The incentive seemed unfair and likely to be manipulated despite its intention to assist law enforcement. PD No. 1602 also faced criticism that the penalties imposed were not harsh enough to be effective.
Other issues with Presidential Decree No. 1602 was the lack of mention of online gambling in any way since some critics could try to apply whatever term they wanted, such as the term “vessel” to online gaming. This would later cause issues, and new clearer legislation was needed.
by Ferdinand Marcos
Manila
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1602
WHEREAS, Philippine Gambling Laws such as Articles 195-199 of the Revised Penal Code (Forms of Gambling and Betting), R.A. 3063 (Horse racing Bookies), P.D. 449 (Cockfighting), P.D. 483 (Game Fixing), P.D. 510 (Slot Machines) in relation to Opinion Nos. 33 and 97 of the Ministry of Justice, P.D. 1306 (Jai-Alai Bookies) and other City and Municipal Ordinances or gambling all over the country prescribe penalties which are inadequate to discourage or stamp out this pernicious activities;
WHEREAS, there is now a need to increase their penalties to make them more effective in combating this social menace which dissipate the energy and resources of our people;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:
Section 1. Penalties[edit]
The following penalties are hereby imposed:
- (a) The penalty of prison correccional in its medium period of a fine ranging from one thousand to six thousand pesos, and in case of recidivism, the penalty of prision mayor in its medium period or a fine ranging from five thousand to ten thousand pesos shall be imposed upon:
- 1. Any person other than those referred to in the succeeding sub-sections who in any manner, shall directly or indirectly take part in any illegal or unauthorized activities or games of cockfighting, jueteng, jai alai or horse racing to include bookie operations and game fixing, numbers, bingo and other forms of lotteries; cara y cruz, pompiang and the like; 7-11 and any game using dice; black jack, lucky nine, poker and its derivatives, monte, baccarat, cuajao, pangguingue and other card games; paik que, high and low, mahjong, domino and other games using plastic tiles and the likes; slot machines, roulette, pinball and other mechanical contraptions and devices; dog racing, boat racing, car racing and other forms of races, basketball, boxing, volleyball, bowling, pingpong and other forms of individual or team contests to include game fixing, point shaving and other machinations; banking or percentage game, or any other game scheme, whether upon chance or skill, wherein wagers consisting of money, articles of value or representative of value are at stake or made;
- 2. Any person who shall knowingly permit any form of gambling referred to in the preceding subparagraph to be carried on in inhabited or uninhabited place or in any building, vessel or other means of transportation owned or controlled by him. If the place where gambling is carried on has a reputation of a gambling place or that prohibited gambling is frequently carried on therein, or the place is a public or government building or barangay hall, the malfactor shall be punished by prision correccional in its maximum period and a fine of six thousand pesos.
- (b) The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine of six thousand pesos shall be imposed upon the maintainer or conductor of the above gambling schemes.
- (c) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period with temporary absolute disqualification or a fine of six thousand pesos shall be imposed if the maintainer, conductor or banker of said gambling schemes is a government official, or where such government official is the player, promoter, referee, umpire, judge or coach in case of game fixing, point shaving and machination.
- (d) The penalty of prision correccional in its medium period or a fine ranging from four hundred to two thousand pesos shall be imposed upon any person who shall, knowingly and without lawful purpose in any hour of any day, possess any lottery list, paper or other matter containing letters, figures, signs or symbols pertaining to or in any manner used in the games of jueteng, jai-alai or horse racing bookies, and similar games of lotteries and numbers which have taken place or about to take place.
- (e) The penalty of temporary absolute disqualifications shall be imposed upon any barangay official who, with knowledge of the existence of a gambling house or place in his jurisdiction fails to abate the same or take action in connection therewith.
- (f) The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine ranging from five hundred pesos to two thousand pesos shall be imposed upon any security officer, security guard, watchman, private or house detective of hotels, villages, buildings, enclosures and the like which have the reputation of a gambling place or where gambling activities are being held.
Section 2. Informer's reward[edit]
Any person who shall disclose information that will lead to the arrest and final conviction of the malfactor shall be rewarded twenty percent of the cash money or articles of value confiscated or forfeited in favor of the government.
Section 3. Repealing Clause[edit]
Provisions of Art. 195-199 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, Republic Act No. 3063, Presidential Decrees Numbered 483, 449, 510 and 1306, letters of instructions, laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, city and municipal ordinances which are inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed.
Section 4. Effectivity[edit]
This Decree shall take effect immediately upon publication at least once in a newspaper of general circulation.
Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.
(SGD.) Ferdinand E. Marcos
- President
Pd 1602 Illegal Gambling
This work is in the public domain because it is a work of the Philippine government (see Republic Act No. 8293 or Section 176 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines).
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