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GMA Network
7 hours ago
- Health
- GMA Network
Filipino bishops call online gambling addiction 'bagong salot or new plague'
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday warned the faithful against online gambling, calling it bagong salot or a new plague. In a statement signed by CBCP President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, the group of Filipino bishops described online gambling as a deep and widespread moral issue hiding in entertainment and technology. 'Sa pagsusugal ang konsensiya ay unti-unting nagiging manhid. Tinuturuan tayong isipin na ito ay 'normal,' 'pampasaya,' o 'wala namang masama',' CBCP said. (With gambling, the conscience gradually becomes numb. We are taught to think that it is 'normal,' 'fun,' or 'there is nothing wrong with it.') The prelates noted that online gambling has become a public health crisis, comparing it to illegal drugs and other addictions, as it not only destroys a person but also a family's relationship. 'Hindi natin matiis na manahimik sapagkat ang pagkasugapa at ang pagiging talamak ng sugal ay salot, isang virus na sumisira at pumapatay sa mga indibidwal, pamilya at lipunan,' CBCP said. (We cannot afford to remain silent because addiction and the prevalence of gambling are a plague, a virus that destroys and kills individuals, families and societies.) The bishops also urged the government to impose appropriate regulations on online payment systems to restrict the public, especially the youth, from using them for online gambling. The government, they church leaders said, could prioritize the welfare of the public and not to promote gambling for the income this can generate. Meanwhile, the CBCP called on the faithful to speak out against online gambling and help addicts recover. 'Hindi laban sa pagsasaya ang Simbahan pero kapag ang kasiyahan ay nagiging sanhi ng pagkaalipin, at ang 'libangan' ay nagiging dahilan ng pagkawasak ng buhay — kailangan naming manawagan at magbigay ng babala,' CBCP said. (The Church is not against having fun, but when fun becomes a cause of slavery, and 'fun' becomes a cause of the destruction of life — we must call out and issue a warning.) 'Nais naming magpa-alala na tayo'y makakaalpas sa pagkaalipin sa pamamagitan ng marangal na trabaho, at sa patuloy na pagtahak ng landas ng katotohanan, kabutihan, katarungan, at higit sa lahat sa biyaya ng Diyos,' it added. (We remind everyone that we can break free from addiction through honest work, by continuing to walk the path of truth, goodness, and justice — and above all, the grace of God.) Proposed legislations Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla filed a measure restricting access to online gambling. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday proposed a measure that would impose strict regulations for online gambling in the country. Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a bill seeking to ban online gambling access in e-wallets and super apps in response to the growing clamor for tighter regulations on such games. Senator JV Ejercito, who earlier called for urgent and stricter government regulation of online gambling, said that he may consider pushing for its total ban depending on the results from studies. Meanwhile, Senator Juan Miguel 'Migz' Zubir filed a bill seeking an outright ban on all forms of online gambling. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
01-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Cardinal David slams online gambling, calls out celebrity endorsers
Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David said on Monday the government should act on online gambling in the country, noting that such platforms have become accessible to people of all ages. 'Wala na yatang mas titindi pang kabaliwan kaysa sa ahensya ng gobyerno na kunwaring nababahala sa ilegal na offshore gambling, samantalang ginawa namang legal ang online gambling dito mismo sa bayan natin — kumpleto, todo-todo, walang hiya. Bukas sa lahat, sa bata o matanda, 24 oras kada araw, pitong araw kada linggo,' he said in a Facebook post. (There is no greater madness than a government agency pretending to be concerned about illegal offshore gambling, while online gambling has been legalized right here in our own country — completely, shamelessly. Open to everyone, whether young or old, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.) 'Sino pa ang magtitiis pumuslit sa mga casinong pang-mayaman kung kahit sino puwede nang magsugal habang nakahiga sa sala, sa kwarto, sa bulsa ng bata — sa liwanag ng cellphone?' (Who would still bother sneaking into casinos for the rich when anyone can gamble while lying in the living room, in the bedroom, in a child's pocket — in the light of a cellphone?) David also called the influencers and celebrities endorsing online gambling as 'pushers.' 'Nagpapaupa bilang pushers, tagapagtulak ng pasugalan ng mga bilyonaryong walang konsensya. Nilalambat ang mga inosente at desperado sa malawak na digital na dagat ng sugalan,' he said. (They allowed themselves to be pushers, promoting gambling by unscrupulous billionaires. Luring the innocent and desperate in the vast digital sea of gambling.) According to Mav Gonzales' report in '24 Oras' on Tuesday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed a bill seeking to impose strict regulations for online gambling. Among the proposals under Gatchalian's proposed measure include adjusting the minimum age for betting from the present 18 years old to 21 years old. The bill also proposes setting the minimum bet to P10,000 and a minimum top-up of P5,000. The proposed measure also seeks to prohibit direct linking of digital finance apps to the online gambling platforms. 'There's no floor price. So ibig sabihin kahit P20 pwede ka tumaya…Yung minimum nga is P10,000, so hindi pwedeng P20 makakalaro ka na. Minimum mo ay dapat P10,000, ang top-up mo is about P5,000,' said Gatchalian. (There is no floor price. So you can place a bet even with only P20…So the minimum bet would be P10,000. Hence, you can no longer play with only P20. The minimum top-up, on the other hand, should be about P5,000.) Gatchalian said that imposing regulations would be better as a total ban on online gambling could only lead to underground operations. If passed into law, the measure would require biometrics to ensure that the player is of the right age. Further, the bill would regulate advertisements on online gambling and celebrities will no longer be allowed to endorse such platforms. 'Bawal ang advertising saan-saan, bawal din mag-advertise near the schools, near the churches, near the government establishments,' said Gatchalian. (Advertising anywhere will be regulated. You cannot advertise near the schools, churches, and government offices.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News
