LINGAYEN – While the provincial board has started to discuss the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Pangasinan, Governor Victor Agbayani has stressed their “No to STL in Pangasinan” stand.

Agbayani said, “We have a consistent stand that we would like to support the gains of Archbishop Oscar Cruz.”

Cruz, archbishop of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese, is the chairman of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Sugal (formerly known as the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng), which is a nationwide anti-gambling crusade.

“The province would not want another avenue for gambling, another opportunity or another mechanism by which our people will have access to gambling again,” he added.

Nonetheless, Agbayani said they will look into the legal requirements of the STL, a legal gambling operation that will be overseen by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The STL is intended to replace the illegal numbers game known as jueteng, and Agbayani said he wants to know what will be the role of the province in STL operations.

“But, as far as I am concerned, and I think my view is shared by the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), we would rather that experiments be done in other provinces,” he said.

Agbayani recalled that when STL was proposed in Pangasinan, it was promptly blocked. On November 17, a committee hearing was held by the provincial board after three applicants filed their formal intent seeking the board’s endorsement for their STL operations.

Clarifications

Agbayani pointed out that some of the legal requirements are still vague as he was informed that city and town mayors can also give their approval for STL operations in their respective areas without an official go signal from the SP.

Hence, he said he wants clarification whether a resolution of the mayors’ league might be sufficient to let STL operate in one town or city.

Asked whether he will prevent the mayors from operating it in their respective areas, Agbayani said, “We’ll just have to exert some persuasion because if they are allowed by law without provincial approval, what we can do?”

“If the operation of the PCSO is province-based,” he said, “definitely it has to pass the provincial board.”–EVA

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