Viewpoints
Pagcor plus PCSO
By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.
Greed is a vice that knows no bounds, that respects no limits. This is true irrespective of whether the object of greed is money or power which after all compose a twin human misery. As wealth brings power, so does power commands wealth. This reality is neither profound nor hard to understand. It is enough to look around and see that money and power are usually owned and wielded by one and the same person. And there are a good number of living exhibits of these individuals in the country. They are greedy par excellence.
One who is greedy never has enough and suffers much for not having much more. While wallowing in money, the greedy still feels deprived of money and is wherefore driven to have more of it. In the same way, while already in command of enormous power, the greedy continues to feel insecure and thus feels compelled to acquire more of it. This is why the vice of greed for money or power causes the misery of its subject victims. The greedy is like someone swimming in fresh water yet pitifully dying of thirst.
And this seems to be exactly the regrettable case of both the PAGCOR and the PCSO. Incidentally, the former is a consummate gambling corporation apparently attempting to claim artistic and cultural agenda. The latter on the hand is a charitable institution seemingly intent in becoming a gambling entity. Let it is be pointed out that probably by deliberate design than by mere coincidence, both PAGCOR and PCSO are directly under the office of the highest executive in the land who is not know for love of poverty, much less in peace with a weak governance.
That is why there appears to be no stopping PAGCOR from spreading its wings more and more not only to continue catering to gambling addicts but also to entice potential gamblers all over the land–Asia included–and thereby hopefully grab the gambling laurels from Macao. Lately, it is said that Nueva Ecija has become its target for another gambling site. The report says that the principal agent involved in this ominous project even callously claimed that he “will take care of the Bishop.” In plane language, he plans to give a big “donation” to the Churchman concerned which made this fume with anger and disgust.
And that is why even PCSO has recently raised, i.e., doubled its gambling lotto fees allegedly to raise the prizes without however even hinting that the prime intention behind the move is to rake in more money supposedly for charity. Perhaps true. Or perhaps partly true and partly false. Or perhaps false. One thing though is very certain, viz., both PAGCOR and PCSO are top advertisers in practically all media outlets, for so many times in a day, for so long a time long since, to this writing . It is not hard to presume that both entities are spending that much money not really to help the media people, neither to promote the arts and culture nor to fund charitable projects respectively–but to feed the greed of certain characters in the ruling administration for more and more money for their own personal and/or partisan intentions.
No matter how hard PAGCOR and PCSO try, it cannot and will not change the truth that gambling is a vice–not a virtue.
(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com.For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/viewpoints/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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