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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