‘If you have been conscious of the changes in store occupancies and commercial space leasing in Metro Manila, you would notice that small restaurants and shops which were closed by the pandemic are now reopening as e-sabong outlets.’
THE nation’s propensity to use the internet in many facets of everyday life was made even more pronounced with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer spending, government operations, education, communication, health care, scientific research, trade and finance, public opinion, the arts — everything seems to be touched one way or another by cyberspace technology.
What is appalling is that the internet has also been the domain of human activities of the indelicate type: pornography, financial scams, prostitution and other forms of human trafficking, and online gambling.
The sad part is that the regulatory bodies of the government, and even the private sector, have done little to control the situation.
Lately, we took note of former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s challenge to all presidential aspirants to speak up against e-sabong and other forms of online gambling, saying these have been worsening social ills in the country.
“The people should know as early as now where they stand on the issue. Speak up now. If you were elected President, will you accept e-sabong or will you shut it down? Don’t surprise us after the election,” Cayetano said, even as he commended presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson for taking a stand against e-sabong.
Lacson recently criticized e-sabong and other forms of online gambling which he said are tearing families apart and worsening social ills in the country.
If you have been conscious of the changes in store occupancies and commercial space leasing in Metro Manila, you would notice that small restaurants and shops which were closed by the pandemic are now reopening as e-sabong outlets.
The alarming growth of online gambling has prodded the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to air their opposition to this activity, now becoming popular despite its being financially and morally harmful.
Cayetano hit the nail right in the head when he said that online gambling will be a serious issue in the coming election campaign.
