Bonds for Illegal Gambling

This post shall provide the updated recommended bonds for illegal gambling as of this writing.

Presidential Decree No. 1602 (Prescribing Stiffer Penalties on Illegal Gambling):

Section 1. Penalties. 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.

The following are the recommended bond of PD 1602, amended by RA 9287:

For violation of Sec. 1 (a)(1) with an imposition of a penalty of prision correccional medium or a fine from P1,000.00 to P6,000.00  -  the bond is P30,000.00

In case of recidivism, the penalty is prision mayor medium or a fine from P5,000.00 to P10,000.00 -  the bond is P60,000.00

For violation of Sec. (a)(2), 1st sentence in relation to Sec. 1 (a)(1) with an imprisonment of prision correccional medium or a fine from P1,000.00 to P6,000.00 - the bond is P30,000.00

In case of recidivism, the penalty is prision mayor medium or from P5,000.00 to P6,000.00 - the bond is P60,000.00

For violation of Sec. 1 (a)(2), 2nd Sentence in relation to Sec. 1(a)(1) with an imprisonment of prision correccional maximum and a fine of P6,000.00  - the bond is P36,000.00

In case of recidivism, the penalty is prision mayor medium or a fine from P5,000.00 to P10,000.00 - the bond is P60,000.00

For violation of Sec. 1 (b) with an imprisonment of prision correccional maximum or a fine of P6,000.00 - the bond is P36,000.00

For violation of Sec. 1 (c) with an imprisonment of prision mayor or fine of P6,000.00 - the bond is P60,000.00

For violation of Sec. 1 (d) with an imprisonment of prision correccional medium or fine from P400.00 to P2,000.00 - the bond is P30,000.00

For violation of Sec. 1 (e) with a penalty of temporary absolute disqualification - bail is not required

For violation of Sec. 1 (f) with an imprisonment of prision correccional maximum or fine from P500.00 to P2,000.00 - the bond is P36,000.00

Republic Act No. 9287 (An Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Numbers Games, Amending Certain Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1602, and for other Purposes):

As defined by law, illegal numbers game is any form of illegal gambling activity which uses numbers or combinations thereof as factors in giving out jackpots.

Jueteng - an illegal numbers game that involves the combination of 37 numbers against 37 numbers from number 1 to 37 or the combination of 38 numbers in some areas, serving as a form of local lottery where bets are placed and accepted per combination, and its variants.

Masiao - an illegal numbers game where the winning combination is derived from the results of the last game of Jai Alai or the Special Llave portion or any result thereof based on any fictitious Jai Alai game consisting of 10 players pitted against one another, and its variants.

Last Two - an illegal numbers game where the winning combination is derived from the last two numbers of the first prize of the winning Sweepstakes ticket which comes out during the weekly draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and its variants.

Bettor ("Mananaya", "Tayador" or variants thereof) - any person who places bets for himself/herself or in behalf of another person, or any person, other than the personnel or staff of any illegal numbers game operation.

Personnel or Staff of Illegal Numbers Game Operation - any person, who acts in the interest of the maintainer, manager or operator, such as, but not limited to, an accountant, cashier, checker, guard, runner, table manager, usher, watcher, or any other personnel performing such similar functions in a building structure, vessel, vehicle, or any other place where an illegal numbers game is operated or conducted.

Collector or Agent ("Cabo", "Cobrador", "Coriador" or variants thereof) - any person who collects, solicits or produces bets in behalf of his/her principal for any illegal numbers game who is usually in possession of gambling paraphernalia.

Coordinator, Controller or Supervisor ("Encargado" or variants thereof) - any person who exercises control and supervision over the collector or agent.

Maintainer, Manager or Operator  - Any person who maintains, manages or operates any illegal number game in a specific area from whom the coordinator, controller or supervisor, and collector or agent take orders.

Financiers or Capitalist - Any person who finances the operations of any illegal numbers game.

Protector or Coddler - Any person who lends or provides protection, or receives benefits in any manner in the operation of any illegal numbers game.

The punishable acts in RA 9287:

Any person who participates in any illegal numbers game shall suffer the following penalties:

a) The penalty of imprisonment from thirty (30) days to ninety (90) days, if such person acts as a bettor;

b) The penalty of imprisonment from six (6) years and one (1) day to eight (8) years, if such person acts as a personnel or staff of an illegal numbers game operation;

The same penalty shall likewise be imposed to any person who allows his vehicle, house, building or land to be used in the operation of the illegal numbers games.

c) The penalty of imprisonment from eight (8) years and one (1) day to ten (10) years, if such person acts as a collector or agent;

d) The penalty of imprisonment from ten (10) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years, if such person acts as a coordinator, controller or supervisor;

e) The penalty of imprisonment from twelve (12) years and one (1) day to ten (10) fourteen (14) years, if such person acts as a maintainer, manager or operator; and

f) The penalty of imprisonment from fourteen (14) years and one (1) day to sixteen (16) years, if such person acts as a financier or capitalist;

g) The penalty of imprisonment from sixteen (16) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years, if such person acts as protector or coddler.

Note:  The bonds provided here are only recommendatory in nature.  It is the court that will set for the bond.