A GROUP of lawmakers in the Lower House of Congress opposed the revival of e-sabong to allegedly replace the income that would be lost from the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).
During a press conference today at the House of Representatives, Sta. Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Caraps Paduano united in their stance that there is no reason to allow e-sabong due to the social evils it brings.
“The evilness has been exposed. I think if we replace POGO with e-sabong, it’s the same banana,” Fernandez said, suggesting that Filipinos can survive without the income from these forms of gambling if money is the only reason.
Acop mentioned that many families were destroyed during the peak of e-sabong because either the father or mother, and even the children, were imprisoned due to involvement in the said gambling being done through social media platforms. Paduano explained that if one of the reasons for the government to legalize e-sabong is to eliminate illegal activities, it is unlikely to happen.
He cited the case of Small Time Lottery (STL) permitted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to combat jueteng, but it did not materialize.
Instead, gambling lords used the platform to legitimize their illegal business. “Any form of gambling promotes corruption. Congressman Acop is right that this is a social ill,” Abante said, emphasizing that e-sabong should not be reintroduced in the country.
The Congressman mentioned that in his district in Manila, particularly in Sta. Ana Manila, e-sabong was first introduced despite their objections because it was allegedly allowed by a former mayor of Manila whom he did not name.
“What happened was when they opened that, six people immediately disappeared from that cockpit. Four months later, 31 were missing. Until now, those people are still missing, so you cannot eliminate corruption in gambling,” Abante said.
The lawmakers stressed that gambling does not contribute to the economic development but instead submerges society in sin and crime.
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