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Sunday, September 04, 2005
Gambling money 'went to the poor'
MANILA -- "My conscience is clear."
Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla issued the statement Saturday following reports that Capalla and two senior bishops received hefty sums of money from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to get their support for the beleaguered Arroyo administration.
Capalla said he did receive financial donations from Pagcor but the money went to the "poor and the needy" and not a single centavo went into the pockets of clergymen.
According to a report that came out in a major daily, Capalla, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto received money from Pagcor ranging from P100,000 to P500,000 as "Christmas gifts."
He also said they served as conduits for the financial assistance released by the state-run gambling institution to help the Catholic Church's programs for the poor.
Not bothered
Capalla said he had expected the Pagcor to come out with a list of bishops or clergymen who received Pagcor donations but it does not bother him since the money was used to help the poor.
Like Vidal, Capalla said, he "would rather be criticized (for accepting donations from Pagcor) than let the poor die."
Capalla said the last time he received donations from Pagcor was in November 2003 when he and other clergymen were called to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee regarding the alleged misuse of funds by Pagcor.
Nothing immoral
Capalla said there is nothing immoral in receiving Pagcor donations if it is used to finance programs for the poor.
"Gambling per se is not immoral or unjust but it will be immoral if the two conditions are there like addiction and allowing the poor to lose their hard earned money," Capalla said as he cited the book "Catechism of the Catholic Church" which said "gambling or game of chance per se is not against justice and it only becomes unjust when it deprives the poor of hard earned money or promotes addiction."
But Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said gambling, in whatever form, is immoral even if its intentions are noble.
"The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines denounced gambling in all forms and renounced the receipt of funds from either legal or illegal gambling for whatever noble purposes. The reason is simple: The end does not justify the means," he said. (Sunnex)
(September 4, 2005 issue)
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