Letter of Instructions No. 816, issued on February 20, 1979, by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, clarifies the application of Presidential Decree No. 1602 regarding gambling laws in the Philippines. It intends to prohibit unregulated gambling while allowing certain games—such as domino, bingo, poker (excluding five-card stud), cuajo, pangguingue, and mahjong—when played solely as parlor games or for home entertainment. These exemptions are applicable as long as the games are not conducted in venues typically associated with gambling and do not involve disguised betting. The directive emphasizes the need to maintain the original intent of the anti-gambling law.
February 20, 1979
LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 816
| TO | : | The Minister of National Defense |
| The Minister of Local Government and | ||
| Community Development | ||
| The Chief of Staff | ||
| Armed Forces of the Philippines | ||
| The Chief Constabulary | ||
| Director-General, INP | ||
| The Chairman | ||
| Task Force Anti-Gambling | ||
| SUBJECT | : | To Exclude Certain Prohibited Games Under Presidential Decree No. 1602 |
WHEREAS, it is the intent of Presidential Decree No. 1602 to discourage and prohibit gambling not regulated or sanctioned under existing laws;
WHEREAS, there is need to exclude therefrom certain games like domino, bingo, poker when not played with five cards stud, cuajo, pangguingue and mahjong when exclusively intended for parlor games or for home entertainment;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby order that the games of domino, bingo, poker when not played with five cards stud, cuajo, pangguinge and mahjong, provided that they are played as parlor games or for home entertainment; and provided further, that they are not played in places habitually used for gambling and the betting is not disguised to defeat the intent of Presidential Decree No. 1602, are hereby exempted.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Nine.