by Jekki Bryan D. Pascual

Prelates criticise plans to open two more gambling venues in the cities of Urdaneta and San Leonardo, intended to create new jobs. Challenging the new president on the issue of corruption, the bishops want a stop to the growth of the gambling industry. For them, the latter creates the illusion of easy money when in fact it actually increases laziness in people and impoverishes families.

Manila (AsiaNews) – Describing casinos as doors to corruption, seven Filipino Catholic bishops urged President-elect Noynoy Aquino to stop the opening of two new gambling venues in the cities of Urdaneta (Pangasinan) and San Leonardo (Nuevo Ecijia), which were planned ostensibly to create jobs and fight poverty.

“Where the casinos operate now, we see the ill effects on the social and moral fibre of the citizenry—the rise of criminality, the spread of prostitution and the shameless corruption of those engaged in the business,” Mgr Socrates Villegas, archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan, said.

For the prelate, the illusion of easy money breeds indolence and laziness, and paves the way for the impoverishment of families.

Instead, Villegas urged President Aquino to adopt real reforms against poverty. For this, the bishops are prepared to work with the government in their dioceses to create new jobs through micro-credit programmes for families and small businesses.

Gambling is a major challenge for Aquino. In his bid for the presidency, he focused on fighting corruption and poverty as well as the radical overhaul of the country. This has generated rising expectations in the population.

In the past few years, the Filipino Church and Catholic politicians have criticised the previous administration of President Gloria Arroyo for its huge investments in casinos and online gambling.

• philippines
• gambling
• casinos
• aquino
• bishops
• corruption