E-bingo on in Baguio despite crackdown; bishop’s appeal

By Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – Electronic bingo games are still on in this summer capital despite on order of the mayor to stop these.

Following this, Apostolic Vicar Bishop Carlito Cenzon reiterated his concern on operation of bingo games Monday during a meeting with Domogan here.

Cenzon urged stop to bingo activities and expressed strong opposition to any form of gambling in the city. 
Domogan recently ordered crackdown on electronic casino joints in the summer capital.

In an order to city police director Senior Supt. Rolando Miranda, he said, no permit was issued for them to operate following confirmation by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation chairman and chief executive officer Cristino Naguiat Jr. that no permit was issued by PagCor.

“As for electronic bingo, it is legalized gambling and as far as legality is concerned, it is legal,’ he said.
Domogan told the bishop that he would request the city council to conduct a public consultation on this concern.
“I maintain my stand that any form of gambling is bad, it all depends on our values if we allow ourselves to indulge in such activities,” he said.

Domogan also added a thorough study should be made to establish grounds to resist any bingo activity in the city and to solicit sentiments of the people regarding proliferation of such games.

“We also have to consider that bingo is supposed to be a social event where people meet, it should be for amusement purposes only and not for gambling, that is my idea of bingo, “ he said.

“We want to know the exact coverage of E-Bingo and if it is proven that it is really bad then we have to stop it,” he said.

“If we can generate majority opposition for such games, then we can stop its operation in the city.”

The mayor also said the emergence of new technology has also made illegal gambling very hard to monitor or trace such that anybody can gamble online through the internet.

“It is really very difficult on our part to go after this illegal gambling activities if it is done online like the online poker, even those that are done exclusively where they play in private houses,” he said.