Speaking before the Stakeholders Dialogue Against Illegal Gambling held at Camp Crame yesterday. Bishop Oscar Cruz of the Archdiocese of Pangasinan and a member of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), and Bishop Villena of Nueva Viscaya pointed out that any form of gambling is immoral and should be outlawed.
However, they claimed that the government’s double-standard is a major obstacle in the campaign to eradicate gambling.
Bishop Villena specifically cited the government’s "soft" handling of suspected Pampanga-based gambling lord, Bong Pineda as example of its double standard.
"What happened to the cases filed against him? Where is he now?" Bishop Villena asked, while he pointed out that only the jueteng kubradors and collectors are getting the brunt of the government’s ongoing crackdown against illegal gambling.
In response to allegations that the Catholic Church and other religious sects are either direct or indirect benefactors of the illegal gambling operations, Bishop Cruz said that the Church stand against gambling is clear.
He added that he had already ordered his parish priests not to hold any form of gambling in their fund-raising activities.
Both bishops also asked the government to declare all forms of gambling, be it high stake or jueteng, illegal. — Jaime Laude