By Ronquillo C. Tolentino
A Boracay Proposed Casino, Again?
When small town lottery surfaced in Kalibo during the incumbency as Kalibo Mayor of former Aklan Congressman Allen Salas Quimpo, I had occasion to write a column. . .about the evils of gambling.
Then Bishop of Kalibo, now Antipolo, Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes had occasion to tell me in 2003 that opposition should be made on the attempt to establish a casino in Boracay. A few months after Bishop Reyes told me that we should oppose the propose Boracay casino, I went to Manila with former Governor Joeben Miraflores, Congresswoman Billie Calizo, former Vice Governor Jean Rodriguez, some members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Aklan Municipal Mayors to have an audience with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The night before we had the appointment with the President, I had occasion to have coffee at Hyatt Regency Hotel with Congressman Iggy Arroyo, Guimaras governor, Rahmon Nava and Aklan governor Miraflores.
I told Rep. Iggy Arroyo of Bishop Reyes’ opposition to the proposed Boracay Casino. On the morning when we were about to leave for Malacañang, I chanced to hurriedly read the Philippine Daily Inquirer, issue for the day and found the headline of Bishop Reyes’ opposition to the proposed casino.
A year and a half back, a comely Pagcor employed lady whose name had escaped my memory showed me Pagcor’s expanded benefits to local government units and at the same time hinting at a Pagcor’s plan to put up a casino in Boracay. After looking at the Pagcor expanded benefits, she asked me of my views. I politely told her to refer her views to Bishop Romeo O. Lazo of Kalibo. She never came back. But I knew for a fact that Bishop Lazo would turn down any proposal to have a casino in Boracay.
The Boracay casino issue re-surfaced when the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay approved a resolution indorsing Pagcor’s proposal for the casino establishment in Boracay. No sooner had it seen print and broadcast coverages, when the bishop of Kalibo manifested his opposition to it.
Dr. Dailin H. Oaks, then president of Brigham Young University, writes about the evils of gambling citing that gambling is an old evil, long recognized as such. He traces some Oriental gambling games back to 2100 b.c. Gambling is denounced in the Hindu code; the Koran and the Talmudic law. Oak says that in ancient Egypt, persons convicted of gambling were sent to the quarries. Even Aristotle denounced gamblers.
Oaks observes that gambling, in its simplest form, is an act of risking something of value on the outcome of a game that may be determined in part or entirely by chance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a statement made by its president, Heber J. Grant and his counselors in the First Presidency on September 21, 1925 said: "The Church has been and now unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to encourage the spirit of reckless speculation, and particularly to that which tends to degrade or weaken the high moral standard which members of the Church and our community at large, have always maintained."
Oaks added why church leaders urged people to avoid gambling and to fight the evils of gambling on communities. Stating five reasons, Oaks emphasized, thus:
"First, gambling weakens the ethics of work, industry, thrift and service- the foundation of national prosperity – by holding out the seductive lure of something for nothing. By the same token, gambling encourages idleness, with all of its resulting bad effects for society."
"The second evil of gambling is, it promotes greed and covetousness and inevitably involves and encourages the base practice of overreaching and taking from one’s neighbor."
"The good Christian’s love of neighbor will stand against every practice which hinders the growth of human spirit toward the likeness of Christ or which breaks down the structures of justice in society. The Christian will himself refrain from gambling and from publicly endorsing it in any form, realizing that gambling is detrimental to the purpose of life as revealed in Jesus Christ".
"The third evil of gambling is its tendency to corrupt the participant. We are familiar with cases in which trusted employees have ruined their lives and brought disgrace and tragedy upon themselves and their families by stealing their employer’s money. All too often the sordid story is traceable to a desperate attempt to pay gambling debts or to finance further gambling activities."
"The temptations of the gambler are such that persons in responsible positions in government and private industry will not hire or retain as employee those who are known to gamble. In recounting the undesirable side of gambling, mention must also be made of the fact that gambling is often accompanied by indulgence in alcohol and other vices."
"A fourth disadvantage, one cited by persons not concerned with the moral effects of gambling, is the extraordinary waste of time involve in it. Those who while away their hours gambling frequently do so to the neglect of family and work."
"Time wasted in gambling becomes more significant when we reflect that many persons who indulge in gambling become addicted to it."
"The spirit of gambling is a progressive thing. Usually it begins modestly; and then like many other hazardous habits, it often grows beyond control. At best it wastes time and produces nothing. At worst it becomes a ruinous obsession and fosters false living by encouraging the futile belief that we can continually get something for nothing."
"The fifth and final condemnation of gambling follows from other disadvantages already discussed. Whenever we engage in any kind of conduct that is inconsistent with the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord, we pay an enormous price. Left without the sustaining influence of that Spirit, we are vulnerable to temptation, prone to criticize, and subject to being tossed to and fro and buffeted by the forces of the world and the works of the evil one."
"They who gamble, who walk by chance, suffer degeneration of character, they become spiritually flabby; they end as enemies of a wholesome society. A gambling den, however beautifully house, is the ugliest place on earth. The tense participants live in a silence broken only, over the tables, by the swish of the wings of darkness. There is an ever-present brooding spirit of horror of an unknown evil. It is the devil’s own home."
"What I have said about gambling should be understood to include playing cards for money, betting on horses and athletic contests (including office pools on the world series), casino gambling in all its forms, lotteries, raffles, bingo for money and dice."
As I write this, Bishop Romeo O. Lazo, bishop of Kalibo, shall definitely issue a pastoral letter against the proposed casino in Boracay. /MP
Then Bishop of Kalibo, now Antipolo, Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes had occasion to tell me in 2003 that opposition should be made on the attempt to establish a casino in Boracay. A few months after Bishop Reyes told me that we should oppose the propose Boracay casino, I went to Manila with former Governor Joeben Miraflores, Congresswoman Billie Calizo, former Vice Governor Jean Rodriguez, some members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Aklan Municipal Mayors to have an audience with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The night before we had the appointment with the President, I had occasion to have coffee at Hyatt Regency Hotel with Congressman Iggy Arroyo, Guimaras governor, Rahmon Nava and Aklan governor Miraflores.
I told Rep. Iggy Arroyo of Bishop Reyes’ opposition to the proposed Boracay Casino. On the morning when we were about to leave for Malacañang, I chanced to hurriedly read the Philippine Daily Inquirer, issue for the day and found the headline of Bishop Reyes’ opposition to the proposed casino.
A year and a half back, a comely Pagcor employed lady whose name had escaped my memory showed me Pagcor’s expanded benefits to local government units and at the same time hinting at a Pagcor’s plan to put up a casino in Boracay. After looking at the Pagcor expanded benefits, she asked me of my views. I politely told her to refer her views to Bishop Romeo O. Lazo of Kalibo. She never came back. But I knew for a fact that Bishop Lazo would turn down any proposal to have a casino in Boracay.
The Boracay casino issue re-surfaced when the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay approved a resolution indorsing Pagcor’s proposal for the casino establishment in Boracay. No sooner had it seen print and broadcast coverages, when the bishop of Kalibo manifested his opposition to it.
Dr. Dailin H. Oaks, then president of Brigham Young University, writes about the evils of gambling citing that gambling is an old evil, long recognized as such. He traces some Oriental gambling games back to 2100 b.c. Gambling is denounced in the Hindu code; the Koran and the Talmudic law. Oak says that in ancient Egypt, persons convicted of gambling were sent to the quarries. Even Aristotle denounced gamblers.
Oaks observes that gambling, in its simplest form, is an act of risking something of value on the outcome of a game that may be determined in part or entirely by chance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a statement made by its president, Heber J. Grant and his counselors in the First Presidency on September 21, 1925 said: "The Church has been and now unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to encourage the spirit of reckless speculation, and particularly to that which tends to degrade or weaken the high moral standard which members of the Church and our community at large, have always maintained."
Oaks added why church leaders urged people to avoid gambling and to fight the evils of gambling on communities. Stating five reasons, Oaks emphasized, thus:
"First, gambling weakens the ethics of work, industry, thrift and service- the foundation of national prosperity – by holding out the seductive lure of something for nothing. By the same token, gambling encourages idleness, with all of its resulting bad effects for society."
"The second evil of gambling is, it promotes greed and covetousness and inevitably involves and encourages the base practice of overreaching and taking from one’s neighbor."
"The good Christian’s love of neighbor will stand against every practice which hinders the growth of human spirit toward the likeness of Christ or which breaks down the structures of justice in society. The Christian will himself refrain from gambling and from publicly endorsing it in any form, realizing that gambling is detrimental to the purpose of life as revealed in Jesus Christ".
"The third evil of gambling is its tendency to corrupt the participant. We are familiar with cases in which trusted employees have ruined their lives and brought disgrace and tragedy upon themselves and their families by stealing their employer’s money. All too often the sordid story is traceable to a desperate attempt to pay gambling debts or to finance further gambling activities."
"The temptations of the gambler are such that persons in responsible positions in government and private industry will not hire or retain as employee those who are known to gamble. In recounting the undesirable side of gambling, mention must also be made of the fact that gambling is often accompanied by indulgence in alcohol and other vices."
"A fourth disadvantage, one cited by persons not concerned with the moral effects of gambling, is the extraordinary waste of time involve in it. Those who while away their hours gambling frequently do so to the neglect of family and work."
"Time wasted in gambling becomes more significant when we reflect that many persons who indulge in gambling become addicted to it."
"The spirit of gambling is a progressive thing. Usually it begins modestly; and then like many other hazardous habits, it often grows beyond control. At best it wastes time and produces nothing. At worst it becomes a ruinous obsession and fosters false living by encouraging the futile belief that we can continually get something for nothing."
"The fifth and final condemnation of gambling follows from other disadvantages already discussed. Whenever we engage in any kind of conduct that is inconsistent with the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord, we pay an enormous price. Left without the sustaining influence of that Spirit, we are vulnerable to temptation, prone to criticize, and subject to being tossed to and fro and buffeted by the forces of the world and the works of the evil one."
"They who gamble, who walk by chance, suffer degeneration of character, they become spiritually flabby; they end as enemies of a wholesome society. A gambling den, however beautifully house, is the ugliest place on earth. The tense participants live in a silence broken only, over the tables, by the swish of the wings of darkness. There is an ever-present brooding spirit of horror of an unknown evil. It is the devil’s own home."
"What I have said about gambling should be understood to include playing cards for money, betting on horses and athletic contests (including office pools on the world series), casino gambling in all its forms, lotteries, raffles, bingo for money and dice."
As I write this, Bishop Romeo O. Lazo, bishop of Kalibo, shall definitely issue a pastoral letter against the proposed casino in Boracay. /MP
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