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Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Bataan Catholic clergy, religious groups launch anti-gambling drive
CHURCH leaders in Bataan on Monday forged an agreement to fight rampant illegal gambling activities in the province.
Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas, along with leaders of the Christian Fellowship Churches and the Aglipayan Church, said the people should unite against gambling lords because it is the best way to combat illegal gambling.
Villegas called on all other church leaders to support their cause. He also asked the people not to patronize anymore illegal gambling activities and to refrain from accepting money from politicians who are being bribed by gambling lords in exchange for protection.
He said the agreement would be read in all the churches in Bataan on June 11 to remind the public to stay away from gambling and other vices that only promote unproductiveness.
The church leaders said: "If we want our political leaders to remain clean and dignified, we must help them by realizing that monetary support coming from gambling lords would further add to the proliferation of gambling in the country."
Villegas and other religious officials urged their constituents to remain vigilant against illegal gambling by informing the local churches or the government if there are illegal gambling activities such as jueteng in their respective areas.
"We advise you to be united and choose a church leader who will be at the forefront in the fight against gambling," they said, adding that the people of Bataan should stand together for what is good and right for the country and the future generations.
"Let us all together be in prayer so that Bataan may once more regain its honor that it is being lost little by little due to the proliferation of gambling," they added. (MSN/Sunnex)
(June 6, 2006 issue)
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