NE execs, clergy on collision course over STL

CABANATUAN CITY — The Catholic Church and local officials in Nueva Ecija appear headed for a collision course over the small town lottery (STL) after two bishops appealed to Novo Ecijanos to oppose lotto, jueteng and all forms of gambling.

A Church official said their stand against STL would not change amid plans by local officials to convince the Church to support the lottery as an alternative to jueteng.

"We are against all forms of gambling in Nueva Ecija, whether legal or illegal," the Catholic official, who requested anonymity, told The STAR.

He was reacting to statements attributed to Gov. Tomas Joson III that he would meet with representatives of the Church and other sectors to discuss the STL operations.

Joson deviated from his previous position that he and other local officials would not allow STL operations if the Church would oppose it.

Last Sunday, Bishops Sofronio Bancud and Mylo Hubert Vergara of the dioceses of Cabanatuan and San Jose, respectively, urged Novo Ecijanos not to give in to pressures and attempts of bribery.

Their statements were contained in a joint pastoral letter read in all Catholic churches across the province.

In the pastoral letter, Bancud and Vergara lamented that gambling operations were slowly returning to the province after a yearlong hiatus.

"Lately, we observe with great dismay how these systematic gambling operations, particularly jueteng and small town lottery, are creeping once again into our communities, apparently with the blessing and implicit approval of our local government and police officials," they said.

For almost a year, they said Nueva Ecija enjoyed "to a greater extent, freedom from the scourge of illegal gambling operations."

They even commended police officials for their efforts to stop illegal gambling and for having "valiantly proven to us that if there’s a will, indeed, there’s a way."

The provincial board recently approved the operation of STL, which is sanctioned by the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

STL was pilot-tested in Gapan City last July 20 and subsequently in eight towns in the fourth congressional district.

Lottery draws are now being conducted thrice a day, except in the towns of Pantabangan, Carranglan and Nampicuan and Palayan City.

A STAR source said the PCSO has tapped a private corporation, Green 2, as its STL agent in Nueva Ecija after the company posted a P10-million bond.