📷: Courtesy of Pablo Virgilio David | FB
In a country where offshore gambling is condemned as a threat to national integrity, the legal proliferation of online gambling within Philippine borders paints a disturbing picture of contradiction and complicity.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, criticized the government’s response to online gambling, calling it a “theater of the absurd.”
In a strongly worded statement posted on Facebook, the Kalookan Cardinal accused authorities of moral negligence for legalizing online gambling platforms that are accessible 24/7—even to minors.
“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?”
David warned that the country is “doomed” unless it wakes up to the growing crisis, which he says is sacrificing an entire generation for quick profit.
He also condemned celebrities and influencers who promote gambling apps, saying they “prostitute themselves for a fee” in service of “conscience-less billionaires.”
The Cardinal’s remarks come amid growing concern over gambling addiction, especially among children of overseas Filipino workers who may be using hard-earned remittances to place bets online. (ZIA LUNA)
