Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, director of the Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Center, said yesterday that the Catholic Church is not satisfied with the decision of the city officials in allowing the operation of Small Town Lottery in Bacolod City .

He said Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra told Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson during their meeting Monday that they are very frustrated and saddened because despite the moral grounds they presented, the city did not consider.

Leonardia had earlier said he is allowing the operation of STL in Bacolod after the Sanggunaing 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.

Buenafe said they are not satisfied with the decision of the Mayor and the city officials. He said the city officials must be ready to face the consequences of their decision, especially the reaction of the faithful and other churches who expressed opposition to STL.

TEST RUN

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

“Why should we zero in on STL, when there is the Casino, cockfighting, Lotto, Bingo and sweepstakes, if we are talking of gambling as an issue?” He asked.

Leonardia also assured 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.

Buenafe said the issue is not the existing forms of gambling like the Casino, Lotto, and others but STL. This will be an additional promotion to gambling and the poor will be hardly hit, he said.

There may be factors in the past where the entry of these other forms of gambling was not stopped, this time, we will not allow it to happen again, he said.

Buenafe said they are looking forward to the time when the local governments, the Church, the academe and other sectors will unite to engage in the fight against any form of gambling.

Councilor Alex Paglumotan, former Games and Amusement Board commissioner, said they are not against the stand of the Church especially if it articulates about morals. He said it is difficult to reconcile what is moral and what is legal.

Paglumotan said STL was legalized by the government (Congress) and its operation in Bacolod will be on an experimental basis. He said they approved the operation of STL on the basis that they are political leaders and have to act on the matter. It does not follow that they are defiant to the Church, he added.

Paglumotan said that when they passed the resolution, even the councilors who voted against it helped provide conditions so there will be safety nets.

He cited, for example, that Councilor Catalino Alisbo hadsuggested that the 5 percent share of the province from the proceeds of STL should be given to the city, he said.

Some even suggested that they come up with an ordinance so if there is a share it will be properly regulated, Paglumoltan said. This will ensure that the proceeds will not be wasted or used for personnel services so politicians will not take advantage of it, he said.

Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce president James Chua, when asked for his stand on STL, said gambling is not good whether it is legal or illegal, but added that, if it is legal there is nothing we can do.

Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said Bacolod is highly urbanized and separated from Negros Occidental. “They have their own jurisdiction and are not under the political jurisdiction of Negros Occidental,” he said.*CGS

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