26 October 2005
Church flayed for opposing legal lottery
LINGAYEN – The church is not the government.
This was how Vice Governor Oscar Lambino reacted to the strong opposition of Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese to the application of a Makati-based company to operate a “Loterya ng Bayan” in Pangasinan on experimental basis.
Lambino said the application of the Numbers Numbers Co., Inc. was referred to three committees in the provincial board which are to conduct a provincewide consultation to determine the pulse of the people on the issue.
Despite the objection of the archbishop, the provincial board will seek the opinion of as many people as possible before forming a decision on the issue, Lambino declared.
Stressing that there is a separation of the church and the state, Lambino said: “We (in the provincial board) make decisions based on facts that we see and hear.”
He said the opinion of Archbishop Cruz, including the pastoral letter that he issued which was read in the pulpits of churches and chapels of the archdiocese last Saturday and Sunday, will also be considered by the provincial board.
“I think the committees will invite personalities, including Archbishop Cruz, to shed light on the Loterya ng Bayan,” Lambino said, adding that in his opinion, the Loterya is not jueteng, contrary to the claim of the prelate.
Lambino said that in Cruz’ various media pronouncements and in his pastoral letter, he called the ‘Loterya Ng Bayan’ the same as jueteng, which has already grounded to a halt in many parts of the country.
“It (Loterya ng Bayan) is not jueteng. It is a small town lottery. It is sanctioned by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and therefore is not illegal,” Lambino stressed.
The vice governor, however, did not dispute the archbishop’s assertion that all kinds of gambling are not moral and that not all legal games are moral.
Lambino sees ‘Loterya ng Bayan’ as the possible means by which those displaced by the stoppage of jueteng could have a chance to be given livelihood again. (PNA)
This was how Vice Governor Oscar Lambino reacted to the strong opposition of Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese to the application of a Makati-based company to operate a “Loterya ng Bayan” in Pangasinan on experimental basis.
Lambino said the application of the Numbers Numbers Co., Inc. was referred to three committees in the provincial board which are to conduct a provincewide consultation to determine the pulse of the people on the issue.
Despite the objection of the archbishop, the provincial board will seek the opinion of as many people as possible before forming a decision on the issue, Lambino declared.
Stressing that there is a separation of the church and the state, Lambino said: “We (in the provincial board) make decisions based on facts that we see and hear.”
He said the opinion of Archbishop Cruz, including the pastoral letter that he issued which was read in the pulpits of churches and chapels of the archdiocese last Saturday and Sunday, will also be considered by the provincial board.
“I think the committees will invite personalities, including Archbishop Cruz, to shed light on the Loterya ng Bayan,” Lambino said, adding that in his opinion, the Loterya is not jueteng, contrary to the claim of the prelate.
Lambino said that in Cruz’ various media pronouncements and in his pastoral letter, he called the ‘Loterya Ng Bayan’ the same as jueteng, which has already grounded to a halt in many parts of the country.
“It (Loterya ng Bayan) is not jueteng. It is a small town lottery. It is sanctioned by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and therefore is not illegal,” Lambino stressed.
The vice governor, however, did not dispute the archbishop’s assertion that all kinds of gambling are not moral and that not all legal games are moral.
Lambino sees ‘Loterya ng Bayan’ as the possible means by which those displaced by the stoppage of jueteng could have a chance to be given livelihood again. (PNA)
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Its about time someone from the government says something to Archbishop Cruz. He has no authority to get himself involved in the government's decision as to legalize the new form of lottery. There has to be a separation of church and the state. This has to be observed at all times.The church has to know not to cross that fine line. The church' business should stay inside the church and perhaps to charity, but that's just that. Bottom line is this: it is up to the individual whether to spend his hardearned money to buy that lottery...after all, who says, no one has the right of dreaming something big?? People need a little hope..lottery gives them that drop of hope. Can Archbishop Cruz offer hope to you or I? Nope! What the church only cares about is to get a free ride..at taxpayers expense..yep and Archbishop Cruz is benefiting from that huge business! Tax free weekly collections, tax free housing, shelter and so on and so forth. Need I say more?
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# posted by 
: 10/30/2005 11:39:00 PM
: 10/30/2005 11:39:00 PM << Home
