Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said he is allowing the operation of Small Town Lottery in Bacolod City after the Sangguniang Panlungsod made its position clear on the matter.

The SP approved Wednesday a resolution favorably endorsing the operation of STL in the city subject to six conditions.

Leonardia said he finds the resolution of the SP reasonable considering that there will be a test run of one year. After a year we will be able to determine the effects of STL on the city, he added.

“If we are talking of gambling as an issue in Bacolod , we have the Casino, cockfighting, Lotto, Bingo and sweepstakes,” Leonardia said. So why should we zero in on STL? he asked.

“We have to consider that STL has been approved by Congress so it is legal and the operators can even operate where they want but they have just given the local officials the courtesy of getting their position or approval,” Leonardia said.

For the record, in Negros Occidental the cities of San Carlos , Escalante, Cadiz , Sagay, Silay, Talisay, La Carlota and Himamaylan have already approved STL, he said. Even our next door neighbor, Iloilo , which is highly-urbanized, had also approved STL, he added.

He visited Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday to make his position known to him before he makes it public, Leonardia said.

I believe this is the beauty of democracy, he said, we can disagree and yet respect each other's opinion and position.

He said Fr. Aniceto Buenafe and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson were present in the meeting.

“I cannot have a selective judgment. I have to be fair as the others are operating STL,” Leonardia said. Why don't we give STL a chance? he asked.

We assure the public that whatever share the city gets out of the operation of STL will go to pro-poor programs and projects and the building of communities like relocation sites and housing, he said.

Earlier, Navarra asked the city officials not to allow STL in Bacolod City .

Those who voted in favor of STL were Councilors Dindo Ramos, Al Victor Espino, Roberto Rojas, Alex Paglumotan and Arturo Parreño.

Councilors Celia Flor, Reynold Iledan, Catalino Alisbo, Homer Bais and Greg Gasataya voted against it and only Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. abstained.

To break the tie, Sayson voted in favor in order for the resolution to be approved.

Paglumotan, former Games and Amusement Board commissioner, said the approval of the resolution is not absolute since they have set a time frame of 12 months for STL to operate in the city.

He said the conditions or safety nets require the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office authorized agent and the Bacolod City Treasurer to report to the city the actual monthly collection and remittances that the operation of STL will generate for the concerned beneficiaries.

Paglumotan said the city will regulate the usage and equal distribution of its monthly shares from STL and the proceeds should only be used for the purchase of school supplies and medicines and for other social services, but should not be used for personnel services.

The monthly shares should also be reported to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod , he said.

Councilor Dindo Ramos is coming up with an ordinance regulating the usage of the fund, he added.*CGS

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