Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Resistance to small-town lottery snowballs in Baguio
By Rimaliza Opiña
BAGUIO CITY -- More groups are opposing the creation of the state-run small-town lottery (STL).
The influential Baguio City multi-sectoral group has joined the increasing number of groups opposed to the STL operation, saying it is still the same as the illegal numbers game jueteng, only with a different name.
"It is nothing more than jueteng sanctioned by government," the group said.
According to the group, consenting to the operation of STL contributes to the decay of the society's morality.
"A government favoring gambling will fail to lead its constituents. It will lose every strand of moral authority if it (state) insists on establishing gambling in every barangay in the country."
It said that promoting the STL on a massive scale would result to chaos, criminality, poverty, hunger, and neglected families. "We cannot afford to sacrifice the Filipino family on the altar of gambling," it said.
And despite the government's contention that proceeds from the state-run gambling would help add funds for charity and infrastructure development, the group said that "in all the years that gambling operated in this country, we have yet to see the people rise from poverty." (Sun.Star Baguio/Sunnex)
(April 4, 2006 issue)
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