Prexy bets vow to push for regulation, employment to address alcoholism, gambling

All the presidential candidate, except for former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., showed up at the Comelec debate on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (SCREENGRAB FROM BROADCAST)

MANILA, Philippines — Some presidential candidates on Friday vowed to push for regulation, increased employment rate, and integration of moral values in order to address the addiction of some Filipinos to alcohol and gambling.

During the presidential forum hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Manny Pacquiao, labor leader Leody de Guzman, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales bared their plans to address addiction to alcohol and gambling among some Filipinos.

For Robredo, the government has the constitutional mandate to protect the public, especially the youth, against addiction.

“Dapat ang gobyerno, naghahanap siya ng paraan para maregulate at siguruhin na hindi siya kung ano man ‘yung, halimbawa ‘yung alcohol, ‘yung gambling, papaano ba siya magiging mas inaccessible para sa mga kababayan natin,” she said.

(The government should look for ways to regulate and look for ways on how to make alcohol and gambling more inaccessible for the people.)

Robredo noted that in other countries, there is a minimum age requirement for those who can buy alcohol and minors are not allowed to enter establishments that offer alcoholic drinks. She also said that the government may impose higher taxes for addictive products to increase their prices and so that less people will be able to purchase them.

“Pero having said that, kailangan handa ‘yung pamahalaan na available ‘yung institutional help na nanggagaling sa gobyerno kapag ‘yung alcoholism o gambling ay nahulog na siya sa addiction,” she added.

(But having said that, the government should be ready for institutional help once alcohol use and gambling becomes an addiction.)

Robredo also stressed that no amount of revenue from gambling can compensate for lives and families that are being harmed because of addiction.

For his part, Pacquiao pointed at the need to teach moral values to Filipinos in order to avoid alcoholism and addiction to gambling.

“Para sa akin ay ituro sa kanila unang-una, ituturo natin sa kanila ang tamang daan, ‘yung moral values ibalik natin and then ituro natin ang word of God,” said the senator, who admitted that his family suffered in the past because of his previous vices.

(For me, we should teach them the right way. We should have moral values again and teach the word of God.)

“Importante ‘yan na magkaroon sila ng relationship sa Panginoon para magising sila sa katotohanan kung ano ang idinudulot nitong sugal, pag-iinom, at iba pang mga bisyo na nakakasira ng pamilya.

(It is important for them to have a relationship with God so that they will realize the truth about the harms of gambling, alcohol use, and other vices that can destroy families.)

Meanwhile, labor leader Leody de Guzman said the government should address poverty and unemployment. According to him, reducing the country’s unemployment rate will solve several social issues and bring down even the crime rate.

“Malaking bagay kapag ‘yung mga tao ay may regular na aktibidad, may trabaho, nakakabawas ‘yan sa pag-iinom. Pangalawa ‘yung idevelop ng gobyerno yung talagang suportahan ang sports nang sa ganun may ibang paglilibangan ‘yung mga tao, hindi naka-stock na walang ginagawa kundi mag-inom nang mag-inom,” he said.

(It will be helpful if people have a regular activity and work. It will lessen their time for drinking alcohol. Secondly, the government should support sports so that people will have something else to do and will not just spend time on a drinking binge.)

“Sa sugal, no no. ‘Yung e-sabong ipapasara ko ‘yan. ‘Yung iba pang mga sugal, ipapatigil ko yan. Kasi hindi pwede ‘yun eh na para bang ang kaligayahan mo, agawan mo ng kita ‘yung iba. Hindi nakapagtuturo ng magandang values sa mga tao,” he added.

(It’s a no-no for me on gambling. I will order the closure of e-sabong. I will order the stoppage of all other forms of gambling. It is not proper to have fun taking away the salary of other people. It does not teach good values to the people.)

Gonzales, for his response, pointed at the “social cost” of alcoholism and gambling.

He said that the government should know that the cost of damages is higher than revenues being earned by the government through these activities.

“Kasi kung minsan ‘yung gobyerno ang nagsasabi, may sugal na pwede at may sugal na hindi pwede. Pwede ang sugal kasi kumikita ang gobyerno, Dapat nakikita ng gobyerno, ‘yung kinikita mas malaki ang nawawala kapag nakita ang damages katulad ng alcohol,” he explained.

(Sometimes the government says some forms or gambling are allowed and other forms are not. They say gambling is allowed because the government earns from it. The government should see that the amount of money being lost to damages is higher than the money it earns.)

“At tsaka ‘yung sugal, very important na tinatanggal ‘yan. Kaya ako, no sa lahat ng sugal kasi ang nangyayari dyan ay hindi natin tinuturuan ang mga kababayan natin na mag-isip nang tama kung paano pau-unlarin ang bansa,” he added.

(Is it very important to prohibit gambling. I say no to all forms of gambling because we don’t teach the people to think how to properly help in the progress of the country.)

RELATED STORIES:

Duterte: Yes to ‘e-sabong,’ no to 24/7 gambling 

Pandemic habits? DOH survey shows 40% of Filipinos drink alcohol, 15% smoke tobacco 

JPV