Aklan SP rejects STL
Citing public sentiment, the provincial board of Aklan has rejected proposals to operate the Small Town Lottery (STL) in the province.
In a special session held on October 30, the provincial board passed a resolution reaffirming three previous board resolutions opposing the operation of the numbers game in Aklan.
Sponsored by board member Wilbert Ariel Igoy, the board reiterated the resolutions passed by the previous members of the legislative body on June 21, September 26 and December 13 last year.
The resolution said the provincial board has been consistent to reject the operation of STL for being "detrimental to the moral, familial and financial well being" of Aklanons.
"While the body is fully aware that resource and employment generation has been identified as the major concern of the proponents of STL operation, it is equally of the view that there are other ways of achieving this objective without resorting to the operation of STL," the provincial board members said in their resolution.
The Aklan chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) earlier passed a resolution supporting the operations of STL in the province.
Sixteen of the province's 17 municipal mayors supported the resolution which also invited the chairman and the general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to conduct a test run of the STL in the province.
The mayors had said in their resolution that the legalization of STL would lessen the work of law-enforcement agencies tasked to crack down on illegal gambling so that they could focus on other peace and order and security concerns.
The mayors also said that proceeds from STL would benefit charitable institutions and local government units and could be used to fund programs and services for the people.
But the provincial board said the operation of STL "would only lead to corrupting the greater number of our people and making them depend on luck rather than on their own talents and capabilities in their economic endeavors."
They said the numbers game "will only reinforce the culture of gambling which promotes indolence and not the right attitude of fostering diligence, patience, perseverance and hard work which should be instilled in our youths."
In a public hearing held on Oct. 26, the PCSO represented by Romualdo Quinones, manager of its special projects department, gave a briefing on how the STL is operated and how revenues are shared by local government units and agencies.
But in a report of the provincial board, said various sectors that attended the public hearing were "overwhelmingly and vehemently against the operation of STL."
The operation of STL is being opposed by the Archdiocese of Kalibo and other religious groups, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Aklan, non-government and civic groups and business organizations.
The board also questioned the support to the LMP resolution supporting the STL operation.
It noted that the municipal councils of Altavas and the capital town of Kalibo passed separate resolutions opposing STL operation in their respective municipalities.